Which 3 Vietnamese fruits continue to be controlled by the European Union?

There are three products that continue to be subject to official controls, including bell peppers, okra, and dragon fruit. Specifically, bell peppers have an inspection frequency of 50%; okra has an inspection frequency of 50%; and dragon fruit is 20%.

Recently, the Vietnam National Sanitary and Phytosanitary Information and Enquiry Point (Vietnam SPS) has sent a document to the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade on amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on temporarily strengthening official controls and emergency measures to manage the import of certain goods from certain third countries into the EU.

Dragon fruit is one of three Vietnamese fruits that continue to be controlled by the EU.

The Vietnam SPS Office received a notification from the Secretariat of the SPS/WTO Committee No. G/SPS/N/EU/641 dated June 9, 2023 of the European Union notifying the Implementing Regulation No. (EU) 2023/1110 dated June 6, 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 on temporary enhancement of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry of certain goods from certain third countries into the Union implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and (EC) No. 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The EU began applying emergency control regulations on Vietnamese vermicelli, rice noodles and rice products from January 1, 2022. Just 6 months later, the EU removed vermicelli, rice products from the food safety management list and now, after 18 months from that time, instant noodles have been transferred from an item subject to review in Annex II (control by certificate and at the border) to Annex I (control at the border).

This decision is a recognition of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of our country in food safety control as well as actively supporting to solve difficulties for businesses.

According to Vietnam's Trade Counselor in Belgium and the EU, Tran Ngoc Quan, the fact that the EU still maintains border control at a frequency of 20% requires Vietnam to always maintain good food safety control for instant noodles.

If in the last 6 months of 2023, Vietnamese instant noodles exported to the EU have many violations of food safety regulations, the next step for the EU will be to increase supervision to 50% at the border gate and then return to Appendix II.

South Korea is one of the famous countries for instant noodle production, however, for many years, the Land of Kimchi has not been successful in convincing the EU to remove quality control and is currently still in Appendix I with a 20% inspection frequency like Vietnam.

Previously, the EU published Regulation (EU) 2023/1110 signed on June 6, 2023 amending Regulation 2019/1973 on emergency measures to control food exports to the EU.

The EU has officially moved Vietnamese instant noodles from Annex II (control by food safety certificates and border control) to Annex I with a border inspection frequency of 20%. Thus, from June 27, instant noodles exported from Vietnam will not be required to be accompanied by a food safety inspection certificate issued by a competent authority of Vietnam.

Also in this regulation, bell peppers from Vietnam are still in Appendix I with a 50% inspection frequency at the border gate; Okra and dragon fruit are still in Appendix II with a 50% and 20% inspection frequency respectively. This means that agricultural products have not changed compared to the regulations of 6 months ago.

The regulation takes effect 20 days after the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

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