HCM City – Unofficial exports over the border to China will face technical barriers since the two nations have agreed to limit them and increase official exports, a seminar heard in HCM City yesterday.

“Vietnamese agricultural exports to China are unsustainable because they are mostly dependent on unofficial exports on a small scale and without legal contracts between sellers and buyers,” Nguyễn Thị Minh Thúy, deputy head of the international affairs sub-department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s trade promotion department told the seminar on updating market information and developing official agricultural export (fruits and grocery) to China.

“Chinese importers are tightening quality norms and demanding origin traceability.”

The two nations had agreed Việt Nam would export eight kinds of fruits to China - dragon fruit, watermelon, litchi, longan, mango, banana, rambutan, and jackfruit – she said.

“Việt Nam is negotiating to export custard apple, pomelo, mangosteen, and rose apple to China. Besides, coffee should be brought into their supermarket system instead of exporting to Chinese provinces close to Việt Nam by road.

“E-commerce websites like Alibaba and Taobao are good places for Vietnamese exporters to advertise themselves.”

Shi Xinbiao, a Chinese trade expert and importer, spoke about his country’s latest policies on fruit and vegetable imports.

“This year Chinese customs has stepped up inspection of Vietnamese agricultural products by requiring approval certificates and origin traceability.

“Việt Nam should set up facilities to preserve farm produce and apply new technology in cultivation, to improve quality and yields and for tracing of origin.             

“China is an open and lucrative market for Vietnamese exporters. Meeting its import criteria will help Việt Nam capture a larger market share.”

China is the biggest importer of agricultural products, accounting for 10 per cent of global imports, and its imports are growing at 8.8 per cent annually. It accounted for 70 per cent of Việt Nam’s agricultural exports last year.

Last year Việt Nam exported US$8.64 billion worth of agricultural products to China and imported $2.47 billion worth. -- VNS