The Protocol on Quarantine Requirements for Monkeys Exported from Vietnam to China was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China on June 6, 2024.

The Protocol on Quarantine Requirements for Long-tailed Monkeys in Vietnam is the result of the efforts and active exchanges and negotiations between the relevant authorities of the two countries over the past year.

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Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung and Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs of China Zhao Zenglian signed the Protocol. Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Immediately after the protocol was signed, the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) proactively worked with the General Administration of Customs of China to discuss and agree on the content of the mẫu (template) for the export quarantine certificate for monkeys from Vietnam to China.

On July 29th, the General Administration of Customs of China officially notified the Veterinary Department of China that it approved the mẫu (template) for the export quarantine certificate for monkeys from Vietnam to China.

However, in order to export monkeys to this populous country, Vietnamese businesses need to meet the conditions outlined in the Protocol. They also need to register so that the Department of Animal Health can compile, verify, and send the information to the General Administration of Customs of China for consideration and decision.

According to the protocol, monkeys exported to China must have been born or kept in captivity for at least two years in Vietnam. Before being exported to China, monkeys that have undergone quarantine at their original farms will be isolated for 30 days at a quarantine facility approved by the Vietnamese side.

A representative of a monkey breeding and export company in the South stated that the long-tailed monkeys exported from Vietnam to China must be domesticated, not wild, and will be used by China "for scientific research."

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals, or CITES, prohibits the trade of wild animals for commercial purposes, but does not prohibit the trade of domesticated animals.

Thus, in addition to dairy products and bird's nests, Vietnam has now added monkeys to its list of officially exported goods to the Chinese market.

Fresh Vietnamese coconuts are about to be exported to China, causing Thais to worry about a repeat of the durian scenario . Fresh Vietnamese coconuts are preparing for export to China after the two sides have initialed the conclusion of negotiations on the protocol. This has led Thais to fear that the multi-billion dollar industry will be shaken, as China is their main export market.