Why are Vietnamese bananas surpassing Philippine bananas in the Japanese market?

Consumers in Japan are seeing more and more Vietnamese bananas appearing in stores, while the dominance of imported bananas from the Philippines is waning.

Nikkei Asia newspaper wrote: "Bananas imported from Vietnam are replacing bananas from the Philippines on some shelves in Japan" - Photo: NIKKEI ASIA

On August 9, Nikkei Asia newspaper published an article titled "Vietnam dominates banana market share in Japan", saying that Japanese consumers are seeing more and more Vietnamese bananas in stores.

According to Japanese trade statistics, the volume of bananas imported 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 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 shipment volume.

The increase is due to a combination of low prices and good quality, according to a trading company. Farming costs in Vietnam are lower than in the Philippines and other major producers.

Additionally, Vietnam's relative proximity to Japan compared to Latin American sources such as Mexico and Ecuador makes shipping costs cheaper.

A grocery store chain near Tokyo started selling samples two years ago and now sees customers buying Vietnamese bananas, according to an employee.

Another grocery chain charges Vietnamese bananas about 10 percent less than 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.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-chuoi-viet-nam-dang-lan-luot-chuoi-philippines-o-thi-truong-nhat-2025080919511406.htm