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According to Nikkei Asia, consumers in Japan are seeing an increased presence of Vietnamese bananas on the shelves of grocery stores as imports from the Philippines decline.
Trade data from Japan shows that in 2024, the country imported 33,000 tons of bananas from Vietnam, a nearly fourteen-fold increase compared to 2019. Vietnam’s banana market share in Japan also rose from 0.2% to 3.2%. In July alone, the volume of Vietnamese bananas exported to the Tokyo area doubled compared to the previous year.
According to traders at Ota Market in Tokyo, Vietnamese bananas are now the third largest import volume into Japan, after the Philippines and Ecuador. Trade businesses attribute Vietnam’s competitive advantage to low production costs, consistent quality, and geographical proximity to Japan, which reduces transportation costs.
Some Japanese supermarket chains began selling Vietnamese bananas two years ago and have seen increasing demand. The retail price of Vietnamese bananas is usually about 10% lower than that of Philippine bananas.
The Philippines once accounted for 90% of the banana market share in Japan in the early 2010s due to stable supply from cooperation programs with Japanese importers. However, diseases, weather fluctuations, and rising labor costs have reduced production and pushed up costs. In 2024, the Philippines’ banana market share in Japan fell to about 75%, while the quality is no longer as consistent as before.
Traders assess that Vietnam has only recently expanded large-scale banana cultivation, so it is less affected by diseases, and the bananas are fresher with a longer shelf life.
Additionally, Japan and Vietnam are both members of the CPTPP, which means that the import tax on Vietnamese bananas into Japan is currently at 5.4% and will gradually decrease to 0% by 2028. In contrast, the tax on bananas from the Philippines remains at 8-18% depending on the season, giving Vietnamese bananas an additional price advantage.
Currently, the banana-growing area in Vietnam is about 154,200 hectares, concentrated in provinces such as Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Hanoi, and Hung Yen. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, bananas are one of the four types of fruit that Vietnam exports the most. Vietnamese bananas are highly regarded for their quality and year-round availability. In addition to the main market in China, businesses should increase banana exports to South Korea, Japan, and Europe, as these markets have a high demand for fresh fruit, including bananas from Vietnam.
