Japanese trade statistics show that banana imports from Vietnam in 2024 increased to 33,000 tons, nearly 14 times higher than in 2019, with Vietnam increasing its import market share from Japan from 0.2% to 3.2%.
In July 2025, the volume of Vietnamese bananas exported to the Tokyo area more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Although still only a small part of total imports, this could be a breakthrough compared to banana imports from the Philippines, which previously accounted for the majority.
“Vietnamese bananas are appearing more frequently in the market,” said a wholesaler of agricultural products at Tokyo’s Ota Market. He first saw boxes of bananas from Vietnam around 2023.
Vietnamese bananas are now second only to those from the Philippines and Ecuador in terms of volume shipped. According to a trading company, the increase is due to a combination of low prices and good quality.
Farming costs in Vietnam are lower than in the Philippines and other major producers. In addition, Vietnam’s relative proximity to Japan compared to Latin American suppliers such as Mexico and Ecuador makes shipping costs cheaper.
A grocery chain near Tokyo started selling samples two years ago and has found that customers are buying Vietnamese bananas, according to an employee. Another grocery chain charges about 10 percent less for Vietnamese bananas than for Philippine bananas.
Japan and Vietnam are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), so Japan's tariff on bananas imported from Vietnam is currently 5.4%. This tariff will be gradually reduced and completely eliminated by 2028. This could give Vietnamese bananas more price advantages.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/viet-nam-chiem-linh-thi-phan-chuoi-tai-nhat-ban-post879173.html
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