According to Minister Le Minh Hoan, China is no longer an easy market due to increasingly strict regulations to protect consumers’ health.
HANOI: Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China are facing increasing difficulties due to tighter export requirements, the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (Mard) says.
According to Minister Le Minh Hoan, China is no longer an easy market due to increasingly strict regulations to protect consumers’ health.
The standard of living is also increasing, meaning Vietnam’s enterprises cannot maintain old production and business methods for farm products exported to China.
Mard has proposed the strengthening of legal provisions on food safety and propaganda on safe food production, according to the regulations and requirements of Vietnam and China.
Order 248, regarding “Regulations on the registration of enterprises producing imported foreign food”, and Order 249, on “Measures to manage import and export food safety”, of China, took effect on January 1, 2022.
The ministry will strictly supervise, inspect and follow up with enterprises according to the regulations on ensuring food safety in Vietnam and China. It will also strictly handle violations of food safety.
Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, head of the Mong Cai International Border Gate Management Board, said to promote Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China, enterprises needed to change their thinking, management, production and business methods.
Companies should constantly improve the quality of goods from farming, catching, processing, packaging and transporting them for their export products, Ngoc said.
“They must accelerate the change of production methods towards safety, having specific standards, farming process management, and meeting China’s requirements.”
She said they also need to actively strengthen ties between manufacturers and exporters to bolster the market.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu, chairwoman of Bagico Joint Stock Company in Bac Giang province, said Vietnamese agricultural products must overcome fierce competition when penetrating the China market.
For example, Vietnam’s durian products are competing with those from Thailand.
In addition, in the past, Vietnam only had to compete with border traders. Now, Vietnamese agricultural products have to compete directly with official importers and corporations, some of which have a lot of money.
Despite having experience doing business with China for five years, Nguyen Duc Hung, director of Hoan Cau Import and Export Joint Stock Company, said it was difficult to export goods to China because this market had constantly amended its food safety laws.
A representative of Phuong Anh Seafood Joint Stock Company in Mong Cai City, Quang Ninh province, said they had been importing and exporting agricultural, forestry and fishery products to China for more than 20 years.
However, since the beginning of 2023, the company has not been allowed to export raw oysters to China, without a reason being given.
“It is hoped that the relevant authorities of the two countries will give specific guidance on processes, regulations and conditions for import and export enterprises,” said the representative.
Nghiem Minh Tien, the permanent vice-chairman of the Vietnam Cassava Association, said that every year, Vietnam exports more than three million tonnes of cassava starch products to China, mainly unofficial exports.
But now, to facilitate the exports, Tien said it was necessary to have stability in border trade policies.
“If there is a change, a reasonable adjustment timeframe is needed for the companies to execute it without causing great losses in production and business.”
The Industry and Trade Ministry said that Vietnam would gradually shift from an unofficial to an official quota in border trade activities to overcome the “congestion of agricultural products at the border gate”.
According to the draft amendment to decree 14/2018 on border trade activities, the ministry has proposed the reduction of exports under the unofficial category starting January 1, 2025.
These unofficial exports will need to meet stricter quality and traceability requirements. — Viet Nam News/ANN
