Vietnamese grapefruit first appeared on shelves at Lotte Mart Korea

April 10, 2025 marks an important milestone for Vietnam's agricultural export industry when Vietnamese grapefruit is officially sold at the Lotte Mart supermarket system in Korea.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade , this event is not only a testament to the superior quality of Vietnamese agricultural products but also affirms the tireless efforts of businesses and agencies of the two countries in promoting bilateral economic cooperation between Vietnam and Korea. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the parties to look back on the journey of bringing Vietnamese grapefruit to Korean consumers, and discuss opportunities to expand the market in the future.

By the end of 2024, South Korea will remain Vietnam's third largest trading partner, after China and the United States. Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 will reach about 82 billion USD, up 7.4% over the same period. In particular, Vietnam's key products exported to the South Korean market will still grow well despite the negative impacts of the world economy . Of which, coffee will reach 141 million USD, up 22%; seafood will reach 810 million, up 2%. In particular, fresh fruits and vegetables will reach 319 million USD, up 40%.

Vietnamese grapefruit is considered suitable for the taste of Korean consumers.

South Korea’s fresh fruit imports soared to a record $1.45 billion in 2024, marking a 20.1 percent increase from the previous year, according to data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI). The growth reflects the country’s growing reliance on imported fruit amid challenges to domestic production due to adverse weather conditions and climate change.

Experts predict that the trend of fruit imports in Korea will continue to increase strongly. KREI estimates that total fruit imports, including fresh, dried and frozen varieties, will increase by 6.8% to 817,000 tons in 2025, reaching 865,000 tons by 2034.

Currently, Korea is the 5th largest fruit export market of Vietnam, after China, the US, the EU and Japan. With Vietnam's annual quality fruit products reaching more than 12 million tons, of which grapefruit has a yield of about 1.2 million tons, the potential for expanding exports to Korea is huge.

Korean consumers increasingly favor nutritious tropical fruits, creating opportunities for Vietnamese grapefruit to compete with products from the US (oranges, apples) and Thailand (durian, rambutan).

According to the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , since 2018, Vietnam has officially started the negotiation process to open the Korean market for grapefruit. From August 2024, Vietnamese grapefruit will be officially allowed to be imported into Korea with the condition of checking samples of each shipment before customs clearance. By September 2024, Hoang Huy Company had successfully exported the first batch of grapefruit with an output of 5 tons, opening the strategy to develop this product into a key commodity in the Korean market. In 2025, Hoang Huy aims to export 500 tons of grapefruit, with a total estimated value of up to 1.2 million USD, equivalent to about 30 billion VND.

Lotte Mart representatives highly appreciate the potential of Vietnamese grapefruit thanks to its sweet taste, high vitamin C content and suitability to Korean consumers' taste. After the first batch is distributed at Lotte Mart Jamsil branch, the group plans to expand distribution to other branches if it receives positive feedback from the market.

For Vietnamese enterprises, this event is a driving force to promote investment in processing technology, improve product quality, build brands and enhance competitiveness in the international market. The Trade Office and the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea pledged to continue supporting enterprises in accessing market information, connecting with partners, completing export procedures and diversifying products, opening a new promising chapter for the Vietnamese agricultural sector.

Minh Thu

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/kinh-te/buoi-viet-nam-lan-dau-len-ke-lotte-mart-han-quoc/20250410030436472