Two years after China formally approved imports of fresh Bangladeshi mangoes, almost none are reaching it. Department of Agricultural Extension figures show 5.22 tonnes of mango went to China in 2025 and about 700 kg up to July 2026. Reporting from Guangzhou, Samakal's Zahidur Rahman writes that China's vast fruit trade could open a market for Bangladeshi mango, jackfruit and guava, but only with preparation.
Guangzhou's Jiangnan fruit and vegetable wholesale market is one of China's main hubs for imported fruit. Covering about 400,000 square metres, it trades an average of 15,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables a day. World Bank WITS data show China imported about 292.6 million kg of mango, guava and mangosteen in 2024, worth about $675.6 million; some 223.9 million kg came from Thailand and about 52.4 million kg from Indonesia.
Bangladesh produced about 2.67 million tonnes of mango in fiscal 2024-25 but exported only 2,194 tonnes to all countries. A memorandum with China was signed on 10 July 2024; on 26 July China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) approved mango imports subject to plant-quarantine conditions, and the first commercial shipment of three tonnes went in May 2025. Jackfruit was approved on 27 July this year, and guava is under discussion.
Mahbubur Rahman, a Munshiganj man who trades in Guangzhou's Sanyuanli area, said the main problem is the season: Bangladeshi mangoes arrive when Chinese mangoes are also on sale, making it hard to compete on price. He suggests testing whether Amrapali, Himsagar, Langra or Fazli can win a niche through trial shipments and buyer feedback. Uniform size, ripeness, unblemished skin, pesticide residue levels and packing quality all matter.
Solaiman Hossain, a PhD researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said exporters must first decide which product pays in which country and then grow to GlobalG.A.P. or the importing country's good agricultural practice standards. Another trader, Abdullah Al Mamun, said several marketing channels are possible in China if quality, reliable supply and buyer trust are secured.
Agriculture Secretary Selim Khan said work is under way on a framework for which fruits can go to China, how, and in what quantity each year. International markets take time to build, he said; orchards run to good agricultural practice and better fruit quality will make mango and other fruit more acceptable abroad.
Photo: Shakeabishek / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Samakal
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