Local fruit exports to China face array of hurdles

Le Thanh Hoa, deputy director of the MARD’s Agro Processing and Market Development Authority, reveals that customs clearance procedures of Vietnamese dragon fruit exports at the Mong Cai border gate in Quang Ninh province to China have slowed. Indeed, at present only between 20 and 30 trucks per day are permitted to pass through due to ongoing disinfection work at the site.

The move comes after China’s Hekou district decided to temporarily suspend the import of Vietnamese dragon fruit from July 18 to August 17 due to the resurgence of virus cases in Vietnam.

They said whether the import resumes will largely depend on the pandemic control situation in Vietnam, as well as risk assessments by relevant agencies.

The Chinese side also moved to temporarily halt receiving Vietnamese trucks to the ASEAN Fruit Center via the Tan Thanh Border Gate from July 30.

These moves are anticipated to reduce the movement of vehicles and cut down on Vietnamese agricultural exports to Chinese market in the near future.

Currently, China represents the largest importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables. Vietnamese agro-forestry-fisheries exports to the Chinese market hit approximately US$5.5 billion, of which 26.9% came from fruit and vegetable exports.

To remove these hurdles for fruit exports, the Plant Protection Department has closely worked alongside Chinese authorities to devise plant quarantine procedures aimed at facilitating customs clearance for Vietnamese goods.

Lieu Anh Minh, deputy director of the Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade, has advised local firms to regularly update information regarding import and export activities at border gates in order to work out an export plan to avoid congestion of goods amid the increasingly complicated nature of the pandemic.