A farmer in Mekong Delta's Vinh Long province harvests rice. Vietnam ranks 15th among countries exporting rice to the UK. (Photo: VNA)Exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the UK have recordedpositive results after the UKVFTA took effect, according to the Trade PromotionDepartment of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In the first six months of 2022, Vietnam's revenue from coffee exports to theUK more than doubled from the same period last year to reach nearly 62 millionUSD.
Nguyen Khanh Ngoc, Deputy Director of the ministry's European-American MarketDepartment, said the reduction of the import tax to zero per cent after January1, 2021, had helped many Vietnamese products to have a more competitiveadvantage in comparison with the same products of other countries exporting tothe UK.
Affirming that the UKVFTA is a great opportunity for Vietnamese export businesses,Trade Counsellor at Vietnam's Embassy to the United Kingdom Nguyen Canh Cuongsaid Vietnamese businesses still faced many obstacles in seeking partners andmeeting quality standards and export procedures needed to export products tothe UK as well as risks relating to contracts, payment and prevention measures.
"Rice has huge potential in the UK market but has not yet been fullyexploited. The volume of rice exported to the UK is still much lower than thedemand of UK importers and the ability of Vietnamese export businesses,"he said.
In order to increase the market share of Vietnamese products in the UK, expertsrecommended that Vietnamese businesses produce products in line with thequality standards of the UK, master export procedures to the UK and improveproduct quality by investing more in preservation technology andtransportation.
They also proposed paying more attention to trademark registration andprotection in the UK, proactively getting access to giant distributioncorporations of the UK and actively building and developing a network ofVietnamese businesses in the UK to connect and introduce partners forVietnamese businesses.
In the field of seafood, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association ofSeafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Hoai Nam said the UKVFTA withpreferential tariffs had brought many competitive advantages for Vietnameseseafood products. In order to effectively exploit the UK market, and inparticular tapping opportunities from the UKVFTA, Vietnamese exporters,processing businesses and farmers needed to resolutely abide by regulations onproduct traceability.
He also pointed to the need to ensure seafood product quarantine requirementsand food safety and hygiene in the whole process of preserving and processingof fishery products to meet the import requirements of other countries.
Businesses needed to pay attention to their social responsibility, particularlyin sustainable development, labour rules and environmental protection, headded.
Among Southeast Asian countries that exported rice to the UK in 2021, Vietnamenjoyed the highest average unit price at 1,012 USD per tonne, while rice fromThailand, Cambodia and Myanmar stood at 999 USD, 991 USD and 502 USD per tonne,respectively, according to the VASEP.
Vietnamese rice in the UK is mainly sold to the Vietnamese community and partof the Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, and Filipino communities. Popular Vietnameserice brands in the UK include Golden Lotus Premium Jasmine Rice, Longdan Rice,Buffalo Saigon Fragrant Rice and Buffalo Brand Northern Vietnam Glutinous Rice.
Vietnam ranks 15th among countries exporting rice to the UK, making up a modest0.42% of the total import turnover to this country, according to TradeCounsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy to the UK Cuong.
However, in order to turn potential into reality, he recommended Vietnamesefarmers and rice exporters thoroughly apply Global GAP on a large scale whilepromoting the production of high-quality fragrant rice.
He suggested the Crop Production Department, the Plant Protection Departmentand authorities of provinces with large rice-growing areas implement programmesto support farmers in rice varieties, safe agricultural materials, milling andrice storage before exporting.
To support Vietnamese businesses to export products to the UK, Deputy Directorof the Trade Promotion Department Bui Thi Thanh An said the Government hadnational brand programmes, and the department would continue supportingbusinesses to promote their brands via trade promotion programmes.
The department would also assist businesses to connect with partners as well asprovide guidelines to help them successfully export products to the UK andother international markets.
Director of the WTO and Integration Centre of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerceand Industry Nguyen Thi Thu Trang said it was necessary to have measures tohelp businesses get access to the market, connect with partners, improveproduct quality and meet standards and requirements of the UK market.Management agencies need to create mechanisms and simplify administrativeprocedures to create the best conditions for businesses./.
VNA
