Malaysia is looking for new overland routes to send durians to China. This matters because China buys the most durians in the world.

The Agriculture and Food Security minister said his ministry is working with the Foreign and Transport ministries to negotiate overland routes with four neighbouring countries. He said the talks are part of a plan to make durian shipments easier.

Overland shipments could take just three to four days, which is faster and cheaper than costly air freight or slower sea transport. The minister said this could give a more efficient way to move the fruit.

China imported about 1.07 million tonnes of durians in the first half of 2026, up from 708,000 tonnes a year earlier, making it the world’s largest durian market. Malaysia shipped $30.26 million worth of durians to China in the same period, a 342% rise but still far smaller than Thailand’s $3.79 billion and Vietnam’s $846 million exports. Negotiations are challenging because the other exporting countries also ship durians to China, and Malaysia’s market share is currently much smaller than theirs.