International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 9-18 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 10 There are many types of durian, and different varieties are planted in different regions. These are the result of long-term artificial selection. Durian has a high genetic diversity, which makes it more adaptable to different climates and better resistant to pathogens such as palm phytophthora (Siew et al., 2018b; Lin et al., 2022; Numba, 2023). Now, scientists have analyzed the genes of durian varieties through some molecular marker technologies, such as SSR and RAPD, and found that there are obvious differences between different varieties. These research results also lay the foundation for future breeding and improvement. Further research also found that the genetic differences between durian varieties are the result of their adaptation to the environment in different regions (Songnuan et al., 2019). This study focuses on the global trade and genetic resource flows of durian, explores the ecological adaptability of varieties in different regions, focuses on analyzing the market structure of major durian producing and exporting countries, evaluates changes in demand in key import markets, and analyzes the diversity and exchange mechanism of durian germplasm resources from a genetic perspective, and discusses the role of breeding programs and biotechnology in improving durian climate adaptability and disease resistance. Through comprehensive ecological analysis and market research, this study hopes to provide scientific basis and policy recommendations for durian production, trade and germplasm resource protection, and promote the long-term sustainable development of the global durian industry. 2 Global Trade and Market Trends of Durian 2.1 Major durian-producing and exporting countries At present, Southeast Asia is still the world’s most important durian production area. Among them, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are the three largest durian exporters. Thailand is the world’s largest durian exporter, accounting for more than 80% of the global market supply. As early as 2003, Thailand became the first country allowed by China to directly export durian. Thailand’s high-quality varieties such as “Monhong” are particularly popular, and once accounted for more than 90% of the Chinese market. Thailand's durian is mainly grown in the east and south, such as Monthong, Chanee and Kradumthong, which are the main export varieties. Thailand can maintain its leading position in the international market for a long time, mainly because it has a stable supply chain, government support policies, and a special trade agreement signed with China (Siew et al., 2018b; Nawae et al., 2023). In recent years, Vietnam’s durian industry has developed rapidly. In 2022, China officially approved Vietnam to export fresh durian, which greatly improved its market competitiveness. In 2024, drought and pests affected the production and quality of durian in Thailand, and Vietnam seized the opportunity to enter the market with cheaper transportation costs and prices. By October 2024, Vietnam has surpassed Thailand to become the largest supplier of durian to China. Durian in Vietnam is mainly grown in the central highlands and the Mekong Delta. Malaysia is also an important durian producer. However, its export volume is not as good as Thailand because it mainly exports high-end varieties such as Musang King and Black Thorn. Another reason is that most of Malaysia's durian can only be exported frozen due to plant quarantine restrictions. Recently, the Malaysian government has been expanding the planting area and improving post-harvest processing technology in the hope of improving export quality (Siew et al., 2018b). Indonesia and the Philippines are emerging durian producers, and their market share is slowly expanding. Indonesia has a large durian planting area, but most of it is only for domestic consumption. The Philippines signed a trade agreement with China in 2023 and began to export durian to the international market (Belgis et al., 2017). 2.2 Main trade routes and times of durian in China China now mainly imports durian from three countries: Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. In 2023, China's durian imports from Thailand accounted for 65.19% of the total import volume and 68.05% of the import value; durian imported from Vietnam accounted for 34.55% of the volume and 31.76% of the value (Zhou et al., 2021). Durian generally enters China through ports such as Guangzhou, Pingxiang, Guangxi, Kunming and Hekou. Among the 28 durian importing provinces in the country, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Zhejiang all import
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