Promoting agricultural exports to China through Protocols

Trade turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products (AFF) between Vietnam and China will reach 15.53 billion USD in 2023. Of which, exports will reach 12.1 billion USD (up 16.4% compared to 2022), imports will reach 3.4 billion USD (down 9.7% compared to 2022).

In the first 5 months of 2024, the import-export turnover of agricultural and forestry products between the two countries reached 6.2 billion USD (up 2.9% over the same period in 2023). Of which, Vietnam's exports to the Chinese market are estimated at 4.6 billion USD (up 8.6% over the same period in 2023), and imports are estimated at 1.6 billion USD (up 31.5% over the same period in 2023).

Vietnamese durian is popular in China - *Photo: VGP/Do Huong*

With a population of over 1.4 billion people and a growing middle class, China is a large market for many types of high-quality agricultural products. However, the market share of Vietnamese agricultural products here is still relatively small, accounting for less than 5% of the total import value of this group of products in China. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to increase the market share of their high-quality agricultural products in the Chinese market.

On June 6, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Hoang Trung received and worked with Mr. Trieu Tang Lien, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs of China on promoting agricultural products between the two countries through new protocols.

Over the years, the cooperative relationship between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China has been continuously strengthened and put into practice. In particular, during the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two sides have closely coordinated and flexibly handled the situation to ensure that trade in agricultural, forestry and fishery products between the two countries is not interrupted.

Currently, many Vietnamese agricultural products are exported to China. These include 12 fruit and vegetable products (watermelon, mangosteen, black jelly, durian, fresh banana, sweet potato, dragon fruit, rambutan, mango, lychee, longan, jackfruit); bird's nest, fish meal and some products for production and processing of animal feed; dairy products and various types of seafood.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China have flexibly applied online assessment measures and signed indirect protocols to open the market for black jelly products, bird's nest, durian, dragon fruit, etc.

At the talks, the two leaders agreed to promote cooperation in agricultural trade and market opening in the coming time.

Accordingly, the two sides will soon complete the procedures to sign the Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for fresh coconuts and frozen durians exported from Vietnam to China. Regarding passion fruit and chili peppers, which have been piloted for export by both sides, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China will speed up the completion of procedures to be able to sign these two documents soon.

The two countries will coordinate to complete the Protocol on exporting crocodiles, raw bird's nests, poultry and exploited aquatic products from Vietnam to China.

According to Deputy Director General Trieu Tang Lien, the Chinese side will assign technical agencies to review and promptly process the registration dossiers for agricultural and aquatic product exports of Vietnamese enterprises to China to facilitate trade cooperation in agricultural and aquatic products.

Along with that, the two sides have reached a high level of agreement on a plan to remove difficulties and obstacles for Chinese sturgeon exported to Vietnam. Accordingly, the Chinese side will support the Vietnamese side to enhance its capacity to appraise sturgeon species.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung and Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs of China Trieu Zenglian signed a Protocol on quarantine requirements for monkeys exported from Vietnam to China.

The two leaders also witnessed the initialing of the conclusion of negotiations on the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Coconuts from Vietnam to China.

Over the past two years, in an effort to promote market opening for fresh coconuts, the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) has discussed in depth with Chinese professional agencies on technical issues related to pest management, measures to manage fruit quality and safety, as well as product packaging.

According to Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director of the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, up to now, the two sides have reached a technical agreement and signed the Protocol. Mr. Dat said: "Promoting the signing of the protocol on fresh coconut is one of the innovations that China has created for Vietnam. This proves that the two sides have reached a consensus. On that basis, in the process of implementing trade and export techniques, we will continue to improve legal issues to sign at the level of a trade protocol in the coming time".

According to Chinhphu.vn

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