Malaysia's pineapples exports rose from $145 million in 2020 to $164 million in 2021, Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah said, according to Malaysian media.  This figure has exceeded the $149 million target set in Malaysia's 12th Five-Year Plan (12MP, up to 2025). From 2016 to 2021, pineapple-related goods exports are on the rise, including various pineapple-based products such as fresh pineapples, canned pineapples and goods from the pineapple industry.  
   
China and Malaysia signed the Protocol on The Export of Malaysian pineapples to China as early as 2015. In 2017, Pineapples from Malaysia began to be shipped to China by air and sea, importing a total of 122 tons in the whole year.  Malaysian pineapple exports to China subsequently peaked at 443 tonnes in 2019, before picking up last year after falling sharply during the pandemic.  Pineapple consumption is huge in The Chinese market, with customs data showing that China imports about 200,000 tons of pineapples every year, mostly fresh.  Nearly 70% of the pineapples came from the Philippines and 20% from Taiwan province. The import of Pineapples from Taiwan province to the mainland has been suspended since March last year, while the demand for imported pineapples continues to increase.  
   
Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry deputy minister said demand for Malaysian pineapples has increased in China and the Middle East, especially the MD2 variety and local varieties such as N36 and Josapine.  According to the report, Singapore is the largest importer of Malaysian pineapple products with a 66% market share.  China is a potential export destination, especially for the MD2 variety of high-quality fresh pineapples.
   
German demand for Malaysian pineapples is also strong, he said.  However, due to limited production and other factors, and the need to follow special specifications such as global GAP certification, this demand can not be met.  
   
In 2021, Malaysia registered about 525,097 tonnes of pineapple production on 11,760 hectares of planted area, but of the total planted area, only 30% can be exported and 70% is used to meet local demand.