Longan

Vietnam longan is exported in three commercial varieties: Idor, Xuong, and Thanh, each carrying a distinct shelf life, sugar range, packing configuration, and logistics profile that determines which import markets each variety can serve. Grown across the Mekong Delta and processed in Tien Giang Province within 12 hours of harvest, these varieties are certified under GlobalGAP and meet residue standards set by the EU, FDA, and GCC import authorities.

Before placing a first order, importers need the full export specifications of each Vietnam longan variety. Idor longan is the only variety with a 50-day shelf life, making it the sole option for sea freight to Canada, Germany, and the UAE. Xuong longan peaks at 20% sugar content, the highest among the three, while Thanh longan offers a 4, 6, and 12-kilogram box format preferred by wholesale and bulk distribution buyers. All three varieties are stored at 2 to 4°C throughout the cold chain and packed in inner units of 500 grams or 1 kilogram.

For importers building a year-round procurement plan, the seasonal availability calendar across Idor, Xuong, and Thanh is the critical planning tool. Combining all three varieties across their respective high and low season windows allows importers to maintain near-continuous certified supply from Vietnam with minimal sourcing gaps throughout the full calendar year.

What Is Vietnam Longan and Why Do Importers Choose Idor, Xuong and Thanh Varieties?

Vietnam longan is a tropical fruit of the Sapindaceae family, cultivated primarily in the Mekong Delta and Tien Giang Province, recognized internationally for its 16 to 20% natural sugar concentration, translucent white flesh, and post-harvest resilience that supports long-distance export. Three varieties, Idor, Xuong, and Thanh, form the backbone of Vietnam’s commercial longan export program, each occupying a distinct position in the global supply chain based on shelf life, sugar content, packing format, and compatible shipping routes. Understanding both the growing environment and the commercial attributes of each variety explains why importers across four continents actively source from Vietnam.

Vietnam Longan’s Growing Regions and What Makes It Export-Ready

Vietnam longan is primarily grown in the Mekong Delta, with Tien Giang Province serving as the central production hub for export-grade fruit. The tropical monsoon climate of southern Vietnam, combining high year-round temperatures, rich alluvial soil, and defined wet and dry seasons, creates the growing conditions that drive natural sugar accumulation to 16 to 20% Brix across all three commercial varieties. This Brix range meets or exceeds the flavor thresholds required by supermarket buyers in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Export readiness extends beyond flavor. All longan destined for international trade must comply with Maximum Residue Levels set by importing countries, including EU pesticide regulations, FDA requirements for the US market, and phytosanitary protocols maintained by Canada, Japan, and Gulf Cooperation Council nations. Vietnamese longan exported by certified packers such as GOBE IMEX is produced under GlobalGAP-compliant farming protocols, with residue levels strictly controlled within internationally permitted limits throughout every growing cycle. The packing house infrastructure in Tien Giang Province enables longan to be harvested and processed within 12 hours, a critical time-to-pack benchmark that directly protects shelf life, visual quality, and sugar retention at destination.

Why Importers Specifically Choose Idor, Xuong and Thanh Longan

Importers choose Idor, Xuong, and Thanh because these three varieties together cover the widest possible range of commercial requirements: sea freight capability, maximum sugar content, and bulk packing flexibility. Each variety resolves a different procurement challenge, and no single variety can satisfy all three simultaneously.

Idor longan is the primary sea freight variety. With a shelf life of 50 days under cold chain conditions at 2 to 4°C, Idor is the only Vietnam longan variety that can withstand ocean transit to Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UAE, where shipping times range from 20 to 35 days. Its berry size of 100 to 110 pieces per kilogram and sugar content of 16 to 20% support consistent retail volume at competitive import cost per kilogram.

Xuong longan targets premium retail and foodservice buyers who prioritize the highest possible sugar content. With a Brix range of 18 to 20%, Xuong delivers the sweetest flavor profile among the three varieties. Its berry size of 50 to 60 pieces per kilogram signals a larger, more visually impressive fruit that commands premium shelf placement in supermarkets across Japan, Kuwait, and European specialty food retailers. A shelf life of 10 days restricts Xuong to air freight only, which aligns with the short transit windows required by premium fresh produce buyers.

Thanh longan gives importers a distinct advantage in bulk distribution logistics. While its technical profile mirrors Xuong in berry size (50 to 60 pieces per kilogram) and shelf life (10 days, air freight only), Thanh is packed in a larger box configuration of 4, 6, and 12 kilograms. This format is preferred by wholesale distributors, cash-and-carry operators, and large-volume buyers who require efficient palletization and reduced per-unit packaging cost. Thanh’s harvest window runs from July through September, making it a complementary variety to Idor and Xuong during the mid-year supply peak.

What Are the Export Specifications of Vietnam Longan (Idor, Xuong and Thanh)?

The export specifications of Vietnam longan across all three varieties cover seven key parameters: size in pieces per kilogram, sugar content, shelf life, inner packing options, box weight configurations, approved shipping methods, and storage temperature. The most significant commercial differentiator is Idor’s 50-day shelf life, the only specification among the three that unlocks sea freight as a viable logistics route. The comparison below gives importers the complete technical reference needed for procurement planning, logistics costing, and market matching.

The following breakdown examines each variety in full detail, beginning with Idor and then comparing Xuong and Thanh against Idor across all seven parameters.

What Are the Full Export Specifications of Idor Longan?

Idor longan is the most commercially versatile Vietnam longan variety for international export, carrying a 50-day shelf life that supports both air freight and sea freight routes and makes it the preferred choice for importers supplying markets in North America, Europe, and the Middle East where ocean transit times range from 20 to 35 days.

The table below presents the complete export specification profile for Idor longan, covering all parameters relevant to import planning and logistics coordination. Reviewing these seven specifications together allows importers to assess Idor’s fit against their specific market’s transit time, retail packaging requirements, and landed cost targets.

The table above outlines the seven key parameters that define Idor longan’s commercial profile. Several specifications are particularly important for importers to evaluate in context.

The 50-day shelf life is the single most commercially significant attribute of Idor longan. No other Vietnamese longan variety achieves this post-harvest duration under cold chain conditions, and this specification directly enables sea freight viability. For importers in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the UAE, sea freight from Vietnamese ports typically requires 20 to 35 days of transit time. Idor’s 50-day shelf life provides a sufficient safety buffer for ocean transit while still delivering 15 to 30 days of remaining shelf life at the destination port, which is adequate for regional distribution, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery to retail or wholesale buyers.

The inner packing options of 500 grams and 1 kilogram per retail unit give importers flexibility in how Idor longan is presented at point of sale. Supermarket chains in Europe and North America frequently prefer 500-gram retail packs for fresh produce sections, while 1-kilogram packs are common in ethnic grocery retail and Middle Eastern hypermarkets. The four box weight configurations of 2, 3, 5, and 9.5 kilograms allow importers to select the carton format that best aligns with their palletization standards, shelf-ready packaging requirements, and container loading efficiency. Sugar content of 16 to 20% ensures that Idor meets the flavor expectations of consumers in key import markets, and storage at 2 to 4°C maintains both freshness and sugar integrity from packing house to retail shelf.

How Do Xuong and Thanh Longan Specifications Compare to Idor Longan?

Xuong longan delivers the highest sugar content at 18 to 20%, Thanh longan offers the largest box configurations at 4, 6, and 12 kilograms, and Idor longan is the only variety supporting sea freight with its 50-day shelf life, creating three distinct commercial profiles that address different import market requirements and logistics models. The direct comparison table below allows importers to evaluate all three varieties simultaneously across the seven standardized export parameters.

This table is the primary decision-making reference for variety selection. Importers should cross-reference each specification against their market’s transit time, retail format requirements, and target price positioning before committing to a procurement plan.

The table above highlights the key specification differences that should drive variety selection decisions for importers. Three strategic scenarios emerge directly from this comparison.

Choose Xuong longan when your target market prioritizes maximum sugar content and premium fruit size. The Brix range of 18 to 20% is the highest achievable across all three Vietnam longan varieties, and the larger berry size of 50 to 60 pieces per kilogram signals premium quality to retail consumers in Japan, Kuwait, Germany, and specialty grocery channels across North America. Xuong’s 10-day shelf life limits shipping to air freight, which raises the import cost per kilogram, but this is offset by the premium retail price point that Xuong commands in high-value markets. Xuong’s high season runs from June through August, aligning with peak fresh produce import demand in the Northern Hemisphere summer.

Choose Thanh longan when your procurement model requires bulk packing formats that reduce per-unit packaging cost and improve palletization efficiency. Thanh’s exclusive box weight options of 4, 6, and 12 kilograms are significantly larger than the configurations available for Idor and Xuong, making Thanh the preferred choice for wholesale distributors, food processing buyers, and large-volume cash-and-carry operators who need to minimize packaging material per kilogram of product. Like Xuong, Thanh requires air freight because of its 10-day shelf life, and its availability is concentrated in the narrow window of July through September, with August representing the peak high season.

Choose Idor longan when your primary objective is cost-efficient long-haul supply to distant markets. Sea freight from Vietnam to Canada, the UK, or the UAE costs significantly less per kilogram than air freight, and Idor’s 50-day shelf life is the only specification among the three varieties that makes ocean shipping logistically viable. Idor’s availability is also the most consistent across the year, with high seasons spanning January through March, June through August, and December, providing importers with multiple sourcing windows annually.

What Is the Seasonal Availability of Vietnam Longan (Idor, Xuong and Thanh) for Importers?

Vietnam longan is available in varying supply volumes throughout the year, with Idor providing the broadest availability across multiple high and low season windows, Xuong concentrated in a mid-year peak from June to August, and Thanh available only from July to September with August as its single high-season month. Seasonal availability is a foundational variable in longan import planning because it directly determines which variety can be sourced in any given month, which logistics route is cost-optimal, and how importers can structure multi-variety procurement strategies to minimize supply gaps. The following sections provide the complete 12-month seasonal calendar for all three varieties alongside a strategic analysis of how to combine them for near-continuous year-round supply.

When Is the High Season and Low Season for Each Vietnam Longan Variety?

Vietnam longan seasonal availability across all three varieties is mapped below in a 12-month calendar that classifies each month as High Season, Low Season, or Not Available, giving importers the precise planning reference needed to schedule purchase orders, book freight capacity, and align inventory cycles with actual harvest output from Vietnamese growing regions.

The table below presents the complete monthly availability status for Idor, Xuong, and Thanh longan across all 12 calendar months. This reference is the primary tool for annual procurement scheduling and freight booking coordination with a Vietnam longan supplier.

The table above reveals three important seasonal patterns that importers should incorporate into their annual procurement calendars.

Idor longan is the most seasonally resilient variety, maintaining High Season status across seven months: January, February, March, June, July, August, and December. This multi-peak seasonal structure, driven by Vietnam’s tropical growing cycles and the ability to induce off-season flowering through agricultural management, gives Idor a substantial advantage over Xuong and Thanh for importers who require consistent volume throughout the year. Even during Idor’s Low Season months of April, May, September, October, and November, supply remains available, though at reduced volume and potentially at a higher spot price per kilogram.

Xuong longan concentrates its peak production in the June to August window, with all three months classified as High Season. The remaining months from January through May and September through December fall into Low Season, during which Xuong supply is limited and air freight procurement becomes less cost-efficient as reduced harvest volume pushes up FOB prices. Importers targeting Xuong for its premium sugar content should plan their main purchase orders around the June to August high season window and negotiate advance booking arrangements with their supplier to secure priority allocation during peak months.

Thanh longan operates within the narrowest seasonal window of all three varieties. High Season is limited to August only, with Low Season availability in July and September. From October through June, Thanh is classified as Not Available, meaning no commercial harvest volume exists for export procurement during those eight months. Importers who rely on Thanh’s larger box format (4, 6, and 12 kilograms) for their distribution model must plan all procurement activity within the July to September window and consider holding safety stock or supplementing with Idor or Xuong during Thanh’s off-season period.

Can Importers Source Vietnam Longan Year-Round by Combining Idor, Xuong and Thanh?

Yes, importers can source Vietnam longan on a near-continuous basis throughout the year by combining Idor, Xuong, and Thanh varieties in a structured multi-variety procurement strategy, because the seasonal calendars of the three varieties overlap in ways that minimize uncovered months and allow importers to maintain active purchase orders with their Vietnamese supplier across all four quarters. The only months where supply requires careful management are April and May, during which only Idor in Low Season is available as the sourcing option. Four distinct sourcing phases structure the full-year procurement model.

Phase 1, covering January through March, represents a strong sourcing window driven entirely by Idor High Season. During these three months, Idor can be shipped by both air and sea freight to markets worldwide. Importers with long ocean transit requirements, such as those importing to Canada, the UK, or Northern Europe, should prioritize sea freight bookings during this phase to optimize landed cost per kilogram. Xuong is in Low Season and Thanh is unavailable during Phase 1, so all procurement volume should be directed to Idor.

Phase 2, covering April and May, is the most constrained period in the annual sourcing calendar. Both Xuong and Thanh remain unavailable or at minimum volume, and Idor is in Low Season, meaning harvest output is lower and FOB prices may reflect tighter supply. Importers who require uninterrupted supply during April and May should negotiate advance purchase agreements with their supplier, explore cold storage carry-over from March’s High Season harvest, or adjust their inventory planning to accommodate slightly lower volume during this two-month window.

Phase 3, covering June through August, is the highest-volume sourcing period of the year. Idor is in High Season, Xuong reaches its annual High Season peak, and Thanh enters Low Season in July before reaching High Season in August. This three-month window is the optimal moment for importers to maximize procurement volume across all three varieties simultaneously, diversify their retail product offering with premium Xuong and bulk-format Thanh alongside standard Idor, and lock in favorable pricing through volume commitments with their supplier.

Phase 4, covering September through December, sees Idor carry the majority of supply responsibility. September offers Low Season access to all three varieties simultaneously, though at reduced volume for Xuong and the final Low Season month for Thanh before it becomes unavailable from October onward. October and November are Low Season months for Idor, and December returns Idor to High Season, providing a strong year-end sourcing window for importers who need to replenish inventory before the January to March peak. The strategic recommendation for importers seeking year-round Vietnam longan supply is to commit to Idor as the backbone variety across all four phases (leveraging sea freight during High Season months to control landed cost), layer Xuong procurement into the June to August window for premium retail SKUs, and incorporate Thanh during July to September for wholesale and bulk distribution clients who require larger carton formats.

Is Vietnam Longan from GOBE IMEX a Certified and Reliable Source for Long-Term Import Partnerships?

Yes, Vietnam longan sourced from GOBE IMEX meets the full requirements for long-term import partnerships, supported by five internationally recognized certifications, a fully integrated cold chain infrastructure with dedicated refrigerated transport, and a 52-week supply capability backed by more than 230 hectares of owned and partner-managed growing areas. After confirming the technical specifications and seasonal availability of Idor, Xuong, and Thanh longan, the next step for importers is evaluating supplier reliability, which means examining the certification portfolio and logistics infrastructure that stand behind every export shipment.

What International Certifications Does GOBE IMEX’s Vietnam Longan Hold?

GOBE IMEX holds five internationally recognized certifications: GlobalGAP, GRASP, ISO, FDA, and Sedex, covering agricultural practice standards, social compliance, quality management systems, US food safety requirements, and ethical supply chain conduct, which collectively satisfy the import compliance requirements of customs authorities and supermarket quality teams across North America, the EU, the Middle East, and Asia.

These five certifications directly address the compliance questions importers face when qualifying a new Vietnam longan supplier:

• GlobalGAP confirms that farming practices across GOBE IMEX’s growing areas meet the global benchmark for safe, traceable, and sustainable agricultural production.
• GRASP (GlobalGAP Risk Assessment on Social Practice) demonstrates that labor and social standards throughout the supply chain align with the requirements of European retailers and ethical trade programs.
• ISO guarantees consistent quality management processes from farm through packing house to export documentation.
• FDA registration confirms compliance with US food safety standards, enabling direct export to American importers and distributors.
• Sedex membership provides importers with an independently verified record of GOBE IMEX’s supply chain practices, supporting supermarket supplier audits and CSR reporting requirements.

GOBE IMEX supplies Vietnam longan for 52 weeks per year, drawing on more than 30 hectares of company-owned GlobalGAP-certified farmland and over 200 hectares of monitored partner growing areas across key production regions, ensuring that importers maintain uninterrupted access to certified longan supply across all seasonal phases.

How Does GOBE IMEX Maintain an Unbroken Cold Chain from Farm to Export Port?

GOBE IMEX maintains an unbroken cold chain by processing all longan at its Tien Giang packing house within 12 hours of harvest and transporting product at a continuous 2 to 4°C using a dedicated fleet of refrigerated container trailers from farm through packing house to the port of export, eliminating any temperature gap that could compromise shelf life, sugar content, or visual quality before the product reaches the importing country.

For Idor longan, this unbroken cold chain is what makes the 50-day shelf life achievable in commercial practice rather than only under laboratory conditions. Sea freight shipments to Canada, the EU, and the Middle East require cold chain integrity to be maintained not only during packing but throughout every logistics handoff point. GOBE IMEX’s owned refrigerated transport fleet removes the dependency on third-party temperature control between the packing house and the container loading facility, which is the most common point of cold chain failure in fresh produce export. For Xuong and Thanh longan shipped by air freight, the 12-hour farm-to-pack processing time ensures that the 18 to 20% sugar content and maximum freshness are locked in before product enters the air cargo cold store, preserving the premium quality profile that justifies the air freight cost for high-value retail markets.

Importers seeking to establish a long-term procurement relationship for certified Vietnam longan across Idor, Xuong, and Thanh varieties are encouraged to contact GOBE IMEX directly at Info@gobeimex.com or by phone and WhatsApp at +84 939 93 54 55 to request product specifications, seasonal availability updates, and a sourcing consultation tailored to their market requirements.

Gobeimex — Elevating Vietnamese Produce, Connecting Global Markets.