Malaysia renews trademark for luxury durians sold in China, as some Thai fruits suspended

China’s durian consumers, the world’s biggest fans of the spiky pungent fruit, are expected to find not only consistently stable quality but also higher prices with Malaysia extending the intellectual property status of its popular Musang King variety – a move that comes as Chinese authorities have suspended some imports from Thailand. The Intellectual Property Corporation administrative body in Kuala Lumpur renewed a protection certificate until March 2034, according to the government-owned Bernama news agency. In its September 19 report, Bernama quoted the country’s minister for agriculture and food security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, as saying that the intellectual property designation means Musang King “belongs to Malaysia” and cannot be claimed by durian sellers from other countries. In China, where consumers often eat Thai and Vietnamese durians because of the much higher import volumes, respect for Malaysia’s intellectual property status should help sustain prices that can be four to five times higher than other types of durian in a competitive market, said Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform. “After price wars, in terms of quality and branding, the trademark might be a relatively good strategy,” said Peng, who is also helping a Shenzhen importer sell Malaysian durians in Guangzhou. Chinese consumers buying trademarked Musang King durians will feel more confident that they are getting the real deal rather than a mislabelled fruit, said Lim Chin Khee, an adviser with the Durian Academy, an institution that trains Malaysian growers. “This would help prevent counterfeit or lower-quality durians from being marketed under the prestigious Musang King label, preserving its identity as a uniquely Malaysian product,” Lim said. Growers in Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese island province of Hainan have previously used Musang King to label their own durians that belong to the subtype discovered in Malaysia but that are easily grown in much of the Asian tropics. Musang King durians from Malaysia cost significantly more than other durian subtypes, and Bernama said they could retail for more than US$80 each in China. They are known for their creamy flesh and a balance of sweetness and bitterness, and they already have a following in Singapore. Both China and Malaysia are members of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. So, “in theory”, intellectual property status should protect the Musang King from counterfeits, said Oh Ei Sun, principal adviser with the Pacific Research Centre think tank in Kuala Lumpur. The convention covers what it calls “geographical indications” for agricultural goods. In a separate move, China’s General Administration of Customs has “raised alerts” about durians from Thailand, leading to a suspension of exports from certain packing houses and orchards, the official Thai News Agency reported. Levels of the metal cadmium might exceed China’s limit of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram, the news agency reported on Thursday. [E]xtending intellectual property rights has no special attraction for me as a [durian] consumer Zhao Yu, Shanghai But the fruits in question are not from southern Thailand, where durians are now in season, the agency said, quoting the permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. China has not placed an all-out ban on Thai durians, the report added. Malaysia’s intellectual property renewal hardly guarantees the country a crown when it comes to the so-called king of fruits, some people caution. Musang King as an intellectual property could lock in loyal consumers in China as long as prices do not go up too markedly, said Zhao Yu, a 37-year-old finance professional and durian fan in Shanghai. However, shoppers are already spoiled for choice, she said. “I think, with the market choices being so numerous, that extending intellectual property rights has no special attraction for me as a consumer,” Zhao said. Sellers seeking trademark protection for any product outside a single market often apply through the Madrid System, a global means of registering and managing trademarks worldwide that emerged 132 years ago from an intellectual property treaty. Approvals under the system extend to 131 countries. “I don’t think it’s so easy to get to China or the whole world,” said Simon Chin, founder of Malaysian exporter DKing. “If you get it from Malaysia, it’s only good in Malaysia.” China imported 1.4 million tonnes of durian of all types last year, becoming far and away the world’s biggest market. Some Chinese consumers regard durians as special enough to be gifted at special occasions such as weddings. Thailand’s 2023 market share, in US dollar terms, was 68 per cent and Vietnamese durian made up most of the balance. The first shipment of fresh Malaysian durians reached China in August, and Bernama has said the value of those exports should reach US$229 million by 2030 and benefit 63,000 growers.

Malaysia renews trademark for luxury durians sold in China, as some Thai fruits suspended

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The price of a single Musang King durian from Malaysia can surpass US$80 in China, and new protections could make them even more costly

The price of a single Musang King durian from Malaysia can surpass US$80 in China, and new protections could make them even more costly