Currently, Vietnam has 11 kinds of fruits that are exported viaofficial channels to China. Of these fruits, Vietnam has signed with Chinaprotocols on phytosanitary requirements for three kinds, including mangosteen,passion fruit and durian.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has not yet signed the protocols onphytosanitary requirements for eight other exported fruits, including bananas,mangoes, litchi, longans, watermelons, dragon fruit, jackfruits and rambutans.
Luong Ngoc Quang, from the Division of International Cooperationand Communications under the Plant Protection Department at the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, said: "The Plant Protection Departmentis coordinating with the General Department of Customs of China to completenegotiation about technical exchanges and development of protocols onphytosanitary for the eight fruits."
The signing of the protocols will bring many positive businessresults in the long term because all trading activities for those fruits willbe through a contract, according to Quang. That will help stabilise output andprices. If the fruits do not meet the quality requirements as signed in thecontract, partners can refuse to receive the goods.
“To promote the official export of fruit products to China, Vietnamneeds to build eligible growing areas and packaging facilities and strictlymanage the use of pesticides. The Plant Protection Department has recommendedthese issues and has been enhancing training for localities," Quang said.
To export fresh fruit to the Chinese market, producers andexporters must comply with regulations on phytosanitary, food safety andtraceability.
Shipments from growing areas or packaging facilities that have notregistered to have codes from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentare not licensed by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) toimport to China.
The growing area code is a necessary and mandatory condition toexport fruits to China and is also one of the factors for product traceability.
Besides that, if China discovers infected consignments, it mayrefuse to import them, destroy them or apply phytosanitary treatment.
Meanwhile, China will refuse or destroy all fruit imports havingresidue of pesticides or other toxic substances exceeding China's health andsafety standards.
At the same time, GACC will immediately notify the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development and may suspend imports from that growingarea or enterprise to China, or even that kind of fruit from Vietnam, dependingon the situation./.