The working session between Can Tho leaders and a delegation from the Chinese food association on August 8 (Photo: VNA)Can Tho (VNA) – The Mekong Delta cityof Can Tho will further support local businesses to increase the number offirms eligible to export rice to China, whose demand for the grain is still growing.
The remark was made by Director of the municipalDepartment of Industry and Trade Nguyen Minh Toai at a working session betweenCan Tho leaders and a delegation from the Chinese food association on August 8.
Wang Zhi Xi, Chairman of a food company based inDongguan city of Guangdong province, said the rice demand in China is very bigand tends to be on the rise. Sales at his business could reach up to 800 tonnesper day, or 300,000 tonnes per year.
The market is also shifting from cheap tohigh-quality and organic rice. Therefore, through local leaders, he hopes toseek suitable suppliers in the Mekong Delta.
Dao Viet Anh, Commercial Counsellor of theVietnamese Embassy in China, said trade between the two countries has beendeveloping in recent years, reaching 121.3 billion USD in 2017, up 23.4 percentyear on year. China is the biggest trade partner of Vietnam, which alsorespectively ranks first and eighth among ASEAN and global trade partners ofChina.
China imported 3.99 million tonnes of rice in2017, up 12.96 percent from the previous year. That included 2.26 milliontonnes from Vietnamese, making up 56.72 percent of China’s total import volume.In the first half of this year, it purchased 1.78 million tonnes of the grainand cereal, including 850,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam.
However, Vietnam’s rice export to its neighboris forecast to encounter difficulties in maintaining the growth trend seen inthe past years, Anh noted, attributing the problem to China’s hike of riceimport tariff since July 1, 2018, and fierce competition from other exporters.
Director Toai said at present, Can Tho has onlyfour businesses eligible and licensed to directly ship rice to China. Toincrease the number of those companies, local authorities will help themprofessionalise the production process to ensure export rice will meet the twocountries’ standards.
Local enterprises will also be assisted to seekpartners through trade promotion and business-to-business events and build andregister rice trademarks in China, he added. –VNA
VNA
