The MoU was inked by the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Guangxi - ASEAN Trade Promotion Association at a teleconference held on August 2 to step up fruit trading between the two countries.

Vietnam is currently the largest trade partner of China, which in turn ranks second among importers of Vietnamese goods.

Lychee is among the Vietnamese fruits that have been permitted to enter China via official channels.

Only nine fresh fruits of Vietnam are permitted to be exported to China via official channels at present, namely dragon fruit, water melon, lychee, longan, banana, mango, jackfruit, rambutan, and mangosteen.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working to pave the way for other fruits, including durian, pomelo, passion fruit, avocado, and coconut, to enter the Chinese market, which has temporarily licensed the import of sweet potato and chilli from Vietnam.

Farm produce trading between the two countries has been thriving in the recent time.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact, bilateral trade of agricultural products in 2020 dropped by over 4% year on year to more than US$ 14.3 billion.

Vietnam exported US$ 1.8 billion worth of fruits and vegetables to China last year, down 25.7%. In the first half of 2021, the shipments rose 16% from a year earlier to US$ 1.2 billion.

The potential for their agricultural product trade is believed to remain huge as Vietnam ranks 17th in the world and second in ASEAN among agricultural product exporters, while China is the top destination of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, over 64% of the total exports of these commodities in 2020.

The recently signed MoU is hoped to create a chance for associations and businesses of Vietnam to coordinate with their Chinese counterparts to step up ties in farm produce production, processing, and trading amid challenges caused by the pandemic.

Vietnam sees surge in farm produce exports to China

Agricultural exports to China posted impressive growth between January and May, with shipments of some produce even matching or surpassing the corresponding figures for the entire 2020, data of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed.

Bac Giang daily exports 1,000 tonnes of early ripening lychee to China

(BGO) – According to the Department of Industry and Trade, for nearly one week, the early ripening lychee in Bac Giang province exported via the border gates at Lang Son and Lao Cai province has sharply increased with average quantity of 1,000 tonnes per day.

Vietnam, China to speed up customs clearance for fresh fruits

Competent forces of Vietnam and China on June 2 reached consensus on plant quarantine to simplify procedures and shorten customs clearance time for fresh fruit exports.

Around 3,400 tonnes of lychees shipped to China via Kim Thanh border gate

Around 3,400 tonnes of lychees, worth nearly VND 47 billion (US$2.1 million) in total, have been shipped to China via the Kim Thanh border gate in Lao Cai province since May 8, as announced by the Lao Cai international border gate customs sub-department on May 24.

Three arrested for facilitating illegal entry from China

Three men in Ho Chi Minh City and the northern province of Quang Ninh have been arrested for smuggling illegal entrants into Vietnam from China.

Source: NDO/VNA