Indonesia Targets Direct Durian Sales to China as Cold Storage and Safety Rules Shape Export Push

A bigger share of China's durian market

Indonesia wants to sell its durians directly to China, with officials saying the change could raise margins from about 10 percent to as much as 30 percent. As of October 18, 2025, the country has secured a protocol for frozen durian exports, while work continues toward regular shipments of fresh fruit. Passing Chinese inspections and keeping durians at the right temperature throughout their journey are central to that effort.

The opportunity is large. China, the world's biggest durian market and the destination for the vast majority of global demand, imported around 1.56 million metric tons in 2024, worth roughly US$7 billion to US$8 billion. Indonesia produces close to 2 million tons in a typical year, yet its exports in 2024 amounted to only about 600 tons, worth roughly US$1.8 million.

Much of the Indonesian fruit intended for China has passed through Thailand or Malaysia. Packers in those countries handle plant health approvals and refrigeration on a large scale, using export systems that are already well established. Each stage takes a share of the sale, leaving Indonesian growers and exporters with less of the value.

A direct route would give Indonesia more control over quality, branding and the price received for its fruit. It would also require more of the work now carried out abroad to happen at home, from preparing export paperwork to operating refrigerated storage and transport. Access to Chinese buyers therefore depends as much on reliable handling as on growing enough durians.

China's General Administration of Customs, known as GACC, has conducted audits of Indonesian plantations and packhouses. The frozen durian protocol provides a framework for documentation and traceability while Indonesia develops the facilities and approved supply needed for a larger trade.

Why removing intermediaries matters

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono has argued that direct exports are essential if Indonesia is to retain more income from its crops. After recent talks with his Chinese counterpart, he described the financial difference between selling through Thailand and reaching China directly.

Until now, our durian has been exported to Thailand, which then re-exports it to China. We only earn about 10 percent. If we export directly to China, we could gain up to 30 percent.

The upper figure is three times the current margin he described, a rise of 20 percentage points. For growers and packers, retaining more of that value could improve returns and encourage investment in Indonesian orchards, packing facilities and refrigerated logistics. Fewer intermediaries could also make prices more transparent.

Chinese demand provides a strong reason to pursue the change. Durian has become popular with younger consumers and is used in desserts as well as hot dishes. Additional supply from Indonesia could widen the choice available to buyers and help ease retail prices, provided exporters can shorten delivery times and maintain dependable quality.

Frozen access comes before the fresh fruit goal

The frozen durian protocol recognizes the Indonesian Quarantine Agency as the authority responsible for oversight. Orchards must be registered, packhouses must qualify as Plant Quarantine Installations, and every shipment must carry a phytosanitary certificate. That certificate is the official paperwork confirming that a shipment meets the required plant health conditions.

Traceability means keeping records that allow inspectors to follow the fruit from its orchard through packing and into its shipping container. Those records must show where it came from, which treatments it received and how it was handled.

Sahat Manaor Panggabean, head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, linked the new access to investment and farm incomes, while stressing the role of traceability in meeting Chinese requirements.

With this export access, we aim to create a conducive investment climate in the horticulture sector and generate foreign exchange income to improve the welfare of Indonesian farmers.

Frozen fruit offers a practical starting point because it tolerates longer journeys, and breaks in temperature control are easier to detect. Malaysia followed a similar progression, gaining access for frozen durian before moving into fresh fruit. Indonesia is seeking a comparable transition, with frozen shipments allowing exporters to demonstrate consistent compliance through actual deliveries.

Fresh durian remains the larger commercial prize because it commands higher prices. Regular fresh shipments still depend on the continuing work to meet Chinese requirements; no date has been given for their start.

• 2024: Indonesia exported about 600 tons of durian, worth roughly US$1.8 million, mostly to Thailand and Hong Kong.
• By October 18, 2025: GACC had audited Indonesian plantations and packhouses, and Indonesia had secured a frozen durian export protocol while pursuing regular fresh fruit shipments.

What inspectors need to see

Chinese customs audits typically examine orchard registration and mapping, good agricultural practices and sanitation throughout packing. Inspectors review pest management, pesticide use and the records showing how chemicals have been applied. They also check the quality of water used for washing and how workers handle the fruit.

Packhouses need enough cold storage and reliable temperature logs. Inspectors examine how containers are sealed and whether facilities can maintain the conditions required for export. Authorities can approve lists of supplying orchards and facilities once they are satisfied with those arrangements.

Durian ripens quickly, making temperature changes, poor handling and lapses in hygiene costly. Fruit can spoil before reaching buyers, while failures to meet safety or plant health requirements can lead to rejection at the border. A cold chain is the connected system of chilled storage and transport that keeps the product at the required temperature throughout its journey.

Indonesia's task begins in the orchard and continues through cleaning, packing, chilling and transport. A sealed container is the final stage of a longer process, supported by digital records that allow officials to check what happened at each step.

From harvest to a sealed container

Export preparation starts with harvesting fruit at the right maturity and moving it quickly into a room for initial cooling. Workers must sort and clean the durians carefully, setting aside fruit that is cracked or bruised. Boxes need to be stacked so that cold air can circulate around them.

Refrigerated trucks must arrive on schedule so pallets do not wait in warm air. Shipping containers need to be cooled before loading, then sealed. Temperature monitoring and digital records are required throughout the process so exporters can provide evidence if inspectors request it.

These arrangements connect food safety with commercial quality. Shorter journeys and fewer handling stages can reduce damage and help preserve the appearance Chinese buyers expect. Exporters need enough storage, transport capacity and trained staff to keep that process working consistently, shipment after shipment.

Central Sulawesi tests a shorter sea route

Central Sulawesi is emerging as a pilot hub because it combines substantial durian cultivation, an active network of packers and a port that can support direct shipping to China. Industry figures say a proposed route from the Port of Pantoloan to Chinese ports could reduce the journey from roughly a month to about one week and cut ocean shipping costs by as much as half.

For a fruit that ripens quickly, saving several weeks would reduce the time spent managing deterioration in transit. Fewer handling stages could also limit damage. The savings depend on establishing a working direct service and matching it with dependable movement from orchards to the port.

Officials report a registered cultivation area of more than 3,000 hectares across five regencies in Central Sulawesi, although only a fraction of individual orchards are fully registered so far. Fifteen packhouses are in place, with roughly half registered, and three regencies have announced readiness for export trials.

Those figures show both the production base and the remaining approval work. Land under cultivation, operating packhouses and suppliers approved for a particular export market are different parts of the same chain. Growers and facilities must complete their own registration and compliance requirements before contributing to approved shipments.

Parigi Moutong is a key growing area within the province. Authorities say it has more than 1,100 hectares planted with durian and several packaging houses they consider to meet international standards. Regional figures also identify more than 110,000 trees in production there, alongside a cluster of packaging houses working to align with export requirements.

Local leaders have publicly supported the export effort, encouraging growers to register their orchards and facilities to upgrade their operations. Their immediate task is to turn the region's existing production and packing capacity into a dependable supply that meets Chinese rules.

Competing with established suppliers

Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia already have strong positions in China's durian trade. Their advantages include networks of packers, established transport links and relationships with Chinese buyers. Indonesia will enter a market where customers already recognize competing varieties and suppliers.

Thailand has exported durian to China for years and built recognition for varieties such as Monthong. Vietnam has expanded rapidly by supplying fruit outside other producers' main harvest periods and using faster land routes into southern China. Malaysia built visibility with frozen Musang King before moving into access for whole fruit.

Food safety controversies have also shaped the competitive environment. Reports of unpermitted dye or high cadmium levels in some regional shipments have drawn regulatory scrutiny. More intensive monitoring can slow customs clearance and raise costs, making reliable sanitation and documentation commercially valuable.

Indonesia sees an opportunity to compete through a clean, traceable supply chain. Winning lasting orders will require consistent results across many shipments. Buyers need fruit that arrives in the agreed condition, with records and handling that satisfy inspectors each time.

Indonesia's varied microclimates provide another potential advantage. Harvests can be staggered across different regions, allowing availability through much of the year. Investors from China have shown interest in production hubs, and established durian trees can produce for decades, features that appeal to buyers planning steady supply contracts.

A large harvest, a small export trade

Indonesia's production scale is far larger than its current export business. Almost all of the close to 2 million tons grown in a typical year is eaten domestically. Official figures put total exports in 2024 at about 600 tons, worth roughly US$1.8 million, with Thailand and Hong Kong taking most of those shipments. Direct exports to China have been negligible.

Using those figures for scale, 600 tons is about 0.03 percent of a harvest of 2 million tons. China's imports of 1.56 million metric tons in 2024 were about 2,600 times Indonesia's total durian exports that year. Indonesia therefore has substantial production, but converting part of it into a reliable export supply is a separate undertaking.

Officials acknowledge that developing that supply will take time and that early export volumes will be modest. Strong demand at home will continue to compete for fruit, while exporters need uniform standards across orchards and packing facilities.

New planting also takes patience. Durian trees often need at least five years to bear fruit at commercial levels. Once established, orchards can produce for many seasons, but expanding responsibly requires training, capital and time. Beginning with frozen shipments and later adding fresh fruit from approved suppliers offers a gradual way to increase volumes while maintaining quality.

Beyond Central Sulawesi, the Ministry of Agriculture has identified dozens of districts for durian development. The aim is to standardize orchard practices, expand cold storage and build a pipeline of approved suppliers able to support exports throughout the year. Successful GACC audits remain crucial to that expansion.

Each additional approved orchard or packhouse can increase available supply and reduce dependence on a small number of locations. A broader network would make the export program more resilient while giving more producing districts an opportunity to participate.

The costs and risks of expansion

Farmers and exporters face substantial spending before the hoped for gains arrive. Exporters need training, monitoring systems and documentation. Farmers need access to credit for orchard and irrigation improvements and better handling after harvest. The fruit selected for international buyers must meet the stricter requirements of those markets.

Governments can help by publishing clear requirements, expanding laboratory capacity to test for chemical residues and subsidizing cold rooms in producing districts. These measures cost money at the beginning, but they can support stable access to a valuable market if growers and exporters meet the rules consistently.

Environmental groups have warned that rapid plantation development in parts of Southeast Asia has replaced forests with orchards growing a single crop, reducing biodiversity and disrupting water systems. Indonesia's export push brings pressure to expand, making land use planning, protection of primary forests and support for smallholders important parts of responsible development.

Local communities also have a stake in how that growth happens. Expanding production without damaging ecosystems or livelihoods requires attention to where orchards are developed and how smaller growers participate. Higher export income offers an incentive to invest, alongside a need to avoid damaging shortcuts.

Dependence on China carries another risk. The country's market is enormous, but its regulators apply strict standards, and inspection failures can leave large volumes delayed or rejected. Diversifying export destinations over time and maintaining compliance can reduce exposure to disruption in any single market. Strong domestic demand provides another outlet, while export success still depends on meeting the requirements at the destination.

What to Know

• Indonesia is pursuing direct durian exports to China to raise margins from about 10 percent to as much as 30 percent.
• By October 18, 2025, Indonesia had secured a frozen durian export protocol, while regular fresh fruit shipments remained a commercial goal.
• China imported around 1.56 million metric tons of durian in 2024, worth roughly US$7 billion to US$8 billion.
• Indonesia produces close to 2 million tons annually, but exported only about 600 tons worth US$1.8 million in 2024.
• Approved orchards, qualified packhouses, plant health certificates and traceable records are central to access.
• A proposed route from Pantoloan could shorten shipping from roughly a month to about one week and reduce ocean costs by up to half.
• Central Sulawesi has 15 packhouses, roughly half registered, with three regencies declaring readiness for export trials.
• Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia are established competitors with strong packing networks, transport links and buyer relationships.
• Temperature control, sanitation and consistent quality will determine whether shipments reach buyers in acceptable condition.
• Expansion requires investment, responsible land use, support for smallholders and protection against dependence on one export market.