{
  "id": 2931120,
  "title": "Chinese durian lovers rejoice as new rail routes bring supply surge and lower prices",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/chinese-durian-lovers-rejoice-as-new-rail-routes-bring-supply-surge",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T02:48:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Bangkok Post Business",
    "slug": "bangkok-post-business",
    "url": "https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/3306985/chinese-durian-lovers-rejoice-as-new-rail-routes-bring-supply-surge-and-lower-prices"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shanghai residents who once considered eating a whole durian a luxury are now rejoicing as the pungent fruit has become significantly cheaper. According to Chinese media, retail prices for some durians have nearly halved, dropping below 40 yuan (190 baht) per kilogramme. In Guangzhou's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market, reference prices for Thai and Vietnamese durians have ranged from 28 to 31 yuan per kg in August this year, compared to 29 to 39 yuan per kg last year.\n\nThe drop in durian prices in China, the world's biggest market accounting for over 90% of global consumption, can be attributed to rising imports and improved cross-border transport links. The newly launched China-Laos-Thailand all-rail cold-chain service, which began operation in March, enables Southeast Asian durians to reach Chinese markets within just three days. This service allows imported durians to travel under a continuous cold chain, transported in refrigerated containers, moved through temperature-controlled loading docks, and delivered to customers via electric refrigerated vehicles.\n\nChina has also expanded its sources of durian supply, approving imports from five additional countries since 2022, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Laos. This expansion more than doubled import volumes last year, with China importing 1.45 million tonnes of durians from January to July this year, up over 45% compared to the same period last year. Thailand, the sole approved source of durian imports until recently, exported US$4.55 billion worth of durians to China during the same period, accounting for more than three-quarters of total shipments by value.",
  "summary": "SHANGHAI - Not long ago, eating a whole durian was a splurge for many Chinese households, with the fruit's demanding storage and transport requirements helping to keep prices high.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}