Dragon fruit cartons, sizes and container loading from Vietnam
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Short answer. White-flesh dragon fruit ships by sea in a 4 kg carton: 120–150 cartons per pallet and about 3,600–4,200 cartons per 40' reefer, at 5 °C. Malaysia takes a 9 kg carton, about 2,000–2,200 per container. Air lots use 3.5 kg or 4.5 kg cartons. All figures are estimates, confirmed with the quotation.
Which cartons are used?
| Carton | Used for | Per 40' reefer | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 kg net, about 40 × 30 × 13 cm, about 4.6 kg gross | Sea, most markets | About 3,600–4,200, loose-loaded | About 14–17 t |
| 9 kg net | Sea, Malaysia | About 2,000–2,200 | About 18–20 t |
| 3.5 kg or 4.5 kg net | Air | Not applicable | From 200 cartons per shipment |
Cartons of 5, 8 and 16 kg are packed on request.
How many fruit are in a 4 kg carton?
About 7–10 fruit of Premium size or 10–13 of Grade A. Sizes follow the Codex codes:
| Size code | Weight per fruit |
|---|---|
| A | 110–150 g |
| B | 151–200 g |
| C | 201–250 g |
| D | 251–300 g |
| E | 301–400 g |
| F | 401–500 g |
| G | 501–600 g |
| H | 601–700 g |
| I | Over 700 g |
Export lots of white flesh are usually codes D–G. Each carton holds one size code, with at most 10 % of fruit from the adjacent code.
How is the fruit protected?
Each fruit sits in a foam-net sleeve, or in paper on request, inside a ventilated corrugated carton. Cartons are packed 2–3 % over the net weight, and no PE bags are used. The label is in English, with Arabic or another language on request: product, class, size code and count, net weight, origin Vietnam, packer and registered packing-house code, lot code and packing date.
How are pallets and containers built?
A pallet takes 120–150 cartons of 4 kg, strapped with corner boards, on ISPM 15 wooden pallets. A 40' reefer takes 20 pallets, or is loose-loaded for the maximum number of cartons. Typical sea lots are 1,000–4,000 cartons; for Malaysia, small lots of 100–600 cartons can share a container.
Which reefer settings apply?
White flesh travels at 5 °C, plus or minus 2 °C, at 85–90 % relative humidity, and keeps about 4 weeks. It is not loaded with bananas, which travel at 13–14 °C: see shipping green bananas. Red-flesh clones are tested at 6–10 °C.
How long is the voyage from Cat Lai?
| Port | Days at sea (indicative) |
|---|---|
| Singapore | 2–3 |
| Port Klang, Malaysia | 3–5 |
| Jebel Ali, UAE | 13–18, via transhipment |
| Dammam, Saudi Arabia | 16–20 |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 18–22 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest sea order?
One pallet in a mixed container, or a full 40' reefer. Air lots start from 200 cartons.
Are these numbers firm?
No. Carton and loading figures are estimates that may vary by 20 %; the exact count is confirmed with the packing house in the quotation.
To choose between colours, see white or red dragon fruit; for timing, see the dragon fruit season guide. Full specifications are on the white dragon fruit page; to order, use the dragon fruit quotation form.
Sources
Last reviewed 12 November 2026 by VIET FARM EXPORT COMPANY LIMITED, Ho Chi Minh City. Figures come from our dragon fruit specifications; they are estimates and confirmed with each quotation.