Even at a time when New Zealand is experiencing uptick food prices, exports of local fruits to Vietnam is flourishing.

Outbound shipments seem not to affect fruit prices, which were domestically cheaper by 2% year-on-year (y-o-y) in March 2025. This is happening despite other foods getting costlier by 3.5%, y-o-y. 

In 2024, New Zealand shipped some NZ$172 million ($101.7 million) worth of mainly fruit horticulture to Vietnam.

Three fruits fueled this growth, namely cherries, apples and kiwifruit, with Vietnam ranking second among the leading apple destinations for NZ.

Apple exports generated NZ$126 million ($74.6 million) while kiwifruit NZ$30 million ($17.8 million) against cherries’ NZ$10 million ($5.9 million).

This trio informed some 16 mainly premium fruit trade deals that businesses in the two nations signed in 2024. 

Besides the three are new export market entrants like strawberries and squash, two fruits with potential.

Also making inroads in Vietnam after China predominance are New Zealand’s pears, which are gaining popularity in wholesale chains.

The trick by suppliers is to use established fruits as a launching pad for a related fruit so as to familiarize consumers with it. Indeed, New Zealand Apples and Pears group’s CEO Karen Morrish told the New Zealand Herald of such a connection between apples and pears in Vietnam. 

So long kiwifruit, apples and cherries, the new focal point for far-flung customers in New Zealand’s gaining fruit hub, Vietnam. To learn more on the Oceania country’s global fruit trade, skim the statistics below.

New Zealand/Vietnam Fruit Trade Statistics

New Zealand is renowned for its high-earning specialty fruits such as apples, kiwifruit, pears, cherries, blueberries and grapes. Some of these, especially apples, rule Central Asian markets such as China and Vietnam.

Which NZ fruits are of high export value?

According to United Fresh, the country earned some NZ$5.9 billion ($3.5 billion) in 2021 for all fruit exports. Kiwifruit dominated the trade at 40% of the total returns, at 622,50 tonnes. Wine grapes came second at NZ$1.86 billion ($1.1 billion) but had the biggest reach of 97 foreign markets. Also rising steadily in value are apples, which generated NZ$825 million ($488.1 million) in 2021. 

Avocado at NZ$ 202 million ($119.5 million) in 2021 and cherries at NZ$55 million ($32.5 million) also boast high returns. Also in the league are blueberries at NZ$41 million ($24.3 milllion), as of 2021.

Is Vietnam a major market for New Zealand’s fruits? 

Vietnam bought NZ$172 million ($101.7 million) in horticultural produce from New Zealand in 2024. This made the central Asia country the second biggest destination for NZ’s horticultural exports after China.  According to the government’s Stats NZ, Vietnam was New Zealand’s third single biggest apple market in 2021 at NZ$91.5 million ($54.1 million).