Trung An High-tech Farming JSC based in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is completing the packaging of the first batch of rice to the EU, which will enjoy zero percent tax. (Photo: VNA)Can Tho (VNA) – Trung An High-tech FarmingJSC based in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is completing the packaging ofthe first batch of rice to the EU, which will enjoy zero percent tax.
Earlier, the company signed rice contracts with three Germanconsumers with a total of 3,000 tonnes, of which 150 tonnes of ST20 and Jasminewill be included in the first batch.
Trung An's General Director Pham Thai Binh said onAugust 27 that the company has exported rice to Europe for many years. However,this is the first batch to be delivered to the region since the EU-Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect on August 1, with zero percent tariff, ascompared with 5-45 percent in the past.
To be accepted in the EU, the rice must have clearorigin and meet GlobalGAP or equivalent standards, according to Binh, addingthat the company will sign more contracts with French and Italian clients inthe time ahead.
Rice quotas for Vietnam under the EVFTA are expectedto push the country's rice exports up from the second half of this year, accordingto the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
Under the EVFTA, the EU pledges to provide an annualrice quota of 80,000 tonnes to Vietnam and completely liberalise trade inbroken rice.
Meanwhile, the EU also sets a range of conditions forthose quotas such as origin certificates on Vietnamese rice. The rice exportedto the EU must have authenticity certificates issued by Vietnamese authorities./.
VNA
