Top 4 Vietnamese Mango Varieties Successful in the Export Market

With the advantage of a tropical climate, Vietnam is emerging as a fruit export powerhouse, and mangoes are a key crop that brings high economic value to the national agricultural sector. Thanks to production processes meeting international standards (VietGAP, Global GAP) and unique flavors, Vietnamese mangoes have successfully overcome stringent quarantine barriers to enter the world's most demanding markets, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union (EU). This success is built upon the superior quality of several key mango varieties. This article will take you on a journey to explore the top 4 mango varieties that have made a name for themselves, brought in significant export value, and are highly sought after by global consumers today.

1. Cat Hoa Loc Mango – The Symbol of Premium Quality

The Cat Hoa Loc mango is dubbed the "King of Vietnamese Mangoes" and is the pride of the Mekong Delta region, particularly Tiền Giang province. This variety is renowned for its superior flavor: the flesh is bright yellow, firm, smooth, almost fiber-free, with an intense sweetness and a distinct, unmistakable aromatic scent. The fruit has an elongated shape, large size, and thin skin, giving it a luxurious appearance and high aesthetic value, making it highly suitable for the gift and premium consumption segments.

It is precisely because of its exceptional quality and consistency that the Cát Hòa Lộc mango has successfully conquered the most discerning markets. This variety is regularly exported to Japan and South Korea, countries with extremely strict requirements for quality control and product appearance. The value of Cát Hòa Lộc lies not only in its production volume but also in its recognized brand prestige and protected geographical indication, significantly contributing to the export turnover of Vietnam's fresh fruits.

2. Cat Chu Mango – The Key Export Product

The Cat Chu mango is one of the two varieties that contribute the most to Vietnam's fresh mango export revenue. Originating from Đồng Tháp, this mango stands out with its light sweetness, mild fragrance, and soft, pliable flesh texture. Although smaller than the Cat Hoa Loc mango, Cát Chu has a superior advantage in its resilience during harvesting and transportation, helping to minimize the risk of damage when exported over long distances.

The Cát Chu variety is favored by international consumers due to the balance between its flavor and reasonable price. Along with Cat Hoa Loc, Cat Chu is a key item that helped Vietnamese mangoes capture up to 97% of the mango import market share in China in Q1 2025. Furthermore, with its mild, easy-to-eat sweetness, this variety also meets the strict food safety standards for export to highly regulated markets like the United States and the European Union (EU), contributing to the strong 43.5% growth in Vietnam's total mango export value in 2024.

3. Taiwan Mango (Ngoc Van Mango) – Appearance Advantage

The Taiwan Mango, also known as Ngoc Van Mango (Purple/Red Mango), is an imported variety successfully propagated and cultivated in Vietnam for export. The most attractive feature of this mango is its eye-catching appearance: large fruit, heavy weight (can reach 1 – 1.5kg), with the skin turning a vibrant purplish-red/pink when nearing ripeness. The flesh is bright yellow, low in fiber, and has a light sweetness.

The success of the Taiwan Mango in export lies in its ability to satisfy the aesthetic preferences of international consumers and retailers. Its large size and striking color make it a top choice for the display fruit segment, gift items, and large-volume orders. This variety contributes to the diversification of Vietnam's products, helping to expand the customer base, especially in markets that prefer large-sized mango varieties.

4. Keo Mango – The Versatile Mango with Stable Yield

The Keo Mango is a high and stable yielding variety, playing a crucial role in ensuring a year-round supply for export. The distinctive feature of the Keo mango is its crunchiness and mild, clean sourness when green, making it very popular for use in salads, Vietnamese sour salads, or eaten with condiments (chili salt, fermented shrimp paste). When ripe, the Keo mango has a light sweetness. Although not a premium mango like Cat Hoa Loc, its good growth ability and high productivity are an irreplaceable advantage.

Challenges and Opportunities of Vietnamese Mango

The Vietnamese mango industry is currently facing the challenge of fierce competition from other major exporting countries, along with the increasingly strict phytosanitary requirements imposed by highly demanding markets (the US, EU, and Japan). In addition, climate change also directly threatens stable quality and production volume.

However, Vietnam has a significant opportunity to break through by expanding into new markets and strongly applying post-harvest preservation technologies (chilling, controlled atmosphere storage). These technologies help extend shipping time, reduce spoilage, and enhance the quality of the varieties, thereby firmly establishing the brand and value of Vietnamese mangoes on the international stage.