First shipment of green-skinned pomelos officially exported to Australia

The first shipment of Vietnamese green-skinned pomelos was officially exported to Australia this morning after two years of negotiations, marking the conquest of the fourth demanding market for this product.

On April 13th, in Vinh Long (formerly Ben Tre province) and Dong Thap province, relevant parties announced the export of the first batches of pomelos under the brand “Ben Tre green-skinned pomelo” to Australia. The total volume of the two shipments reached several tens of tons, marking the beginning of the commercialization of this fruit in one of the markets with strict quarantine standards.

Previously, in October 2025, the authorities of both countries completed the legal procedures and agreed on the technical conditions for imported pomelos. This is the foundation for businesses to actually implement exports, although further preparation is still needed. As one of the companies participating in the first shipment, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, CEO of Vina T&T, said that the company exported 18 tons of pomelos, sourced from Ben Tre.

With experience exporting approximately 50 tons per week to the US, the company expects the Australian market to reach a similar scale due to similar consumer behavior. According to Mr. Tung, the negotiation process between the two countries lasted nearly two years, focusing on technical requirements, quarantine, and irradiation procedures. Although the market opened at the end of last year, the first shipment was only granted import permission on April 10th.

Following the first shipment, the company plans to continue supplying goods to two major consumption hubs, Melbourne and Sydney, and then expand to other states through its distribution system. Currently, the Australian partner has ordered 9 containers, each containing 14 to 18 tons, indicating positive market signals.

Regarding branding, although the actual growing area is in Giao Long commune (Vinh Long province), the product is still packaged under the name "Ben Tre green pomelo" to ensure recognition in the international market. The company stated that it will add information about the growing area to ensure transparency of origin and leverage the brand reputation it has already built.

Adding a management perspective, Mr. Le Viet Binh, representative of the Southern Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said that fruit and vegetable exports in the first three months of the year recorded a strong increase compared to the same period in 2025, with Australia emerging as a noteworthy new market for pomelo. According to him, Vietnamese pomelo has great potential but has not yet developed proportionally. Despite possessing many famous growing regions from North to South, this industry has only gradually entered demanding markets, such as the US from the end of 2022, New Zealand afterwards, and South Korea from August 2024.

Following the first shipment, the company plans to continue supplying goods to two major consumption hubs, Melbourne and Sydney, and then expand to other states through its distribution system. Currently, the Australian partner has ordered 9 containers, each containing 14 to 18 tons, indicating positive market signals.

Regarding branding, although the actual growing area is in Giao Long commune (Vinh Long province), the product is still packaged under the name "Ben Tre green pomelo" to ensure recognition in the international market. The company stated that it will add information about the growing area to ensure transparency of origin and leverage the brand reputation it has already built.

Adding a management perspective, Mr. Le Viet Binh, representative of the Southern Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said that fruit and vegetable exports in the first three months of the year recorded a strong increase compared to the same period in 2025, with Australia emerging as a noteworthy new market for pomelo. According to him, Vietnamese pomelo has great potential but has not yet developed proportionally. Despite possessing many famous growing regions from North to South, this industry has only gradually entered demanding markets, such as the US from the end of 2022, New Zealand afterwards, and South Korea from August 2024.