Joy Wing Mau debuts Malaysian white durian at CIIE as China's fresh durian imports pass 2 million tonnes

Fruit importer Joy Wing Mau (鑫荣懋) presented the 白玉珍珠 ("white jade pearl") durian, under its Joyvio (佳沃) brand, as a world debut at the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. The fruit comes from Penang, Malaysia. According to the company, quoted by Shanghai Securities News on 6 November, output is even scarcer than that of Musang King (猫山王), the Malaysian variety best known in China, and the flesh is creamy white with a caramel and rum aroma. CIIE runs from 5 to 10 November.

A Joy Wing Mau representative told Shanghai Securities News the company wants to use the fair to "quickly open the Chinese market" for the variety and make it a hit in premium durian. The company told Yicai the product targets experienced durian eaters; the report adds that output is very small and that market launch is expected in May and June next year. In an 8 November report, CCTV said the white durian was brought to the fair by "Malaysian exhibitors", and that a first lot could be available in China as early as the end of this year, with large volumes from May 2027. CCTV does not name the company.

On 30 October, the Shanghai government's Portuguese-language portal already listed "Joyvio Capri durians from Penang" among the first items to arrive at the fair, quoting Xia Xianlin, client director at Joy Wing Mau Chile SpA. Chinese reports only use the name 白玉珍珠. CSP found no company document linking the two names.

The launch comes in a market that has grown fast. From January to September 2026 China imported 2.0397 million tonnes of fresh durian worth 55.258 billion yuan, according to figures released on 23 October at a buyer event in Kunming organised by the Ministry of Commerce's trade development bureau and the Yunnan Department of Commerce. Full-year 2025 imports were 1.868 million tonnes, according to Lanjinger, citing customs. That means the first nine months of 2026 already exceeded the whole of last year. The same outlet reports that Vietnamese Monthong durian sold wholesale for under 15 yuan per jin (half a kilo) this summer.

Malaysia is still a small supplier of fresh fruit. Chinese customs opened the market to fresh Malaysian durian on 24 June 2024 (announcement No. 72 of 2024). According to Lanjinger, the Malaysian government told parliament that 413.61 tonnes of fresh durian went to China from the first shipment to the end of 2024, and 2,485 tonnes from January to November 2025. CSP could not check these figures at the Malaysian source. Malaysia's trade promotion agency MATRADE brought 29 companies to this year's CIIE and told Bernama that durian products and bird's nest are among the items Chinese buyers want most.

Announcement No. 72 covers fresh durian of the species Durio zibethinus from any Malaysian growing area, provided orchards and packhouses are approved by the Malaysian government and registered by Chinese customs. Each carton must state species, variety, country, region, orchard and packhouse, and the Malaysian side must inspect 2% of each lot before shipment. The Chinese customs websites, which hold the list of registered orchards, could not be reached by CSP for this check. None of the reports says whether the 白玉珍珠 orchards are already on the list.