Vietnam’s lychee exports fell 51 per cent year on year to US$16.4 million in the first half of 2026, as higher domestic prices and logistics costs affected export competitiveness.

Lychees accounted for 0.8 per cent of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports during the period, compared with 2.05 per cent a year earlier, according to customs data.

A Hanoi-based exporter reported a 70 per cent decline in shipments as domestic lychee prices increased alongside air freight and cold storage costs.

“Fresh lychees’ competitiveness in the international market was inevitably squeezed, leading to a decline in exports,” the company’s director said.

Vietnam has around 55,000 hectares planted with lychees, concentrated mainly in northern areas including Bac Ninh and Thanh Hoa provinces and Hai Phong City.

Weather conditions during flowering and fruit setting reduced yields this season. In Bac Ninh, the lychee crop fell nearly 36 per cent year on year to 131,560 tons.

Lower availability pushed farm-gate prices to US$3.44-4.59 per kilogram.

A seedless variety grown only in Thanh Hoa reached US$22.95 per kilogram after its crop declined to one ton from seven tons a year earlier.