The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on June 6 had a working session with The General Administration of Customs of China on farm produce trade promotion and market opening.

The two sides agreed that it is necessary to complete procedures to sign a protocol on plant quarantine for fresh coconut and frozen durian exports to China.

The trial export of passion fruit and chili has been implemented and now is the time to fulfill procedures before documents are signed. Also, the two sides will cooperate with each other to complete the protocols on exporting crocodiles, raw salangane’s nests and fisheries to China.

The Chinese side will assign technical agencies to handle the dossiers for registering export of Vietnam’s farm and seafood produce to China.

The two sides have reached a consensus on solutions to settle difficulties with Chinese sturgeon exports to Vietnam. The Chinese side has promised to support Vietnam to improve sturgeon inspection capability.

At the working session, the two sides signed a protocol on quarantine requirements applied to Vietnam’s monkey exports to China and strived to end the negotiations for a protocol on plant quarantine to be applied to Vietnam’s fresh coconut exports to China. 

Vietnam-China two-way trade turnover of farm, forestry and seafood produce in 2023 reached $15.53 billion.

The figure was $6.2 billion in the first five months of 2024, an increase of 2.9 percent over the same period last year. Vietnam exported $4.6 billion worth of products to China, up 8.6 percent, and imported $1.6 billion worth of products from China, up 31.5 percent.

To date, the two sides have signed 21 Memorandums of Agreement/protocols on farm produce import-export between the two countries. Vietnam’s export products to China vary, including watermelon, mangosteen, black jelly, durian, fresh banana, sweet potato, dragonfruit, rambutan, mango, lychee, longan, jackfruit; bird's nest, fish powder and a number of products serving the production and processing of animal feed; and dairy and seafood products of all kinds.

Cashew nuts are one of biggest export items as it is favored by China and the US. 

The General Department of Customs (GDC) reported that Vietnam exported 217,500 tons of cashew nuts in the first four months 2024, valued at $1.17 billion, higher by 34 percent in quantity and 22.5 percent in value than the same period last year. Positive growth rates in cashew nut exports were reported for all markets.

The US remained the biggest consumer of Vietnam’s cashew nuts, and imported 57,200 tons by the end of April, valued at $304.1 million, up 32.3 percent in export volume and 20.4 percent in export turnover.

Vietnam’s cashew nuts are favored by Chinese consumers as they have higher quality than Chinese products. 

China has increased the purchases of cashew nuts from Vietnam and decreased purchases from other markets. A report showed that 90 percent of cashew nuts consumed in China are from Vietnam.

As many as 37,200 tons of cashew nuts were exported to China in the first four months of 2024, which brought turnover of $201.4 million, up 97.6 percent in quantity and 62.4 percent in value.

In 2023, Vietnam exported 644,000 tons of cashew nuts, worth $3.64 billion, up 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, over 2022.

Meanwhile, the US consumed 24.6 percent of Vietnam’s cashew nut output. The country imported 158,500 tons of cashew nuts from Vietnam last year.

Chinese consumers also favor Vietnam’s durian, which explains why the country has cut imports from Thailand and increased purchases from Vietnam.

Chinese customs reported that the country imported 202,500 tons of fresh durian in the first four months 2024, worth $1.09 billion. The average import price was $5,395 per ton, up 4.9 percent over the same period last year.

Thailand remains the biggest durian supplier for China, but exports decreased sharply by 26.7 percent in the first four months, accounting for 60 percent of China’s total imports.

Hot weather and drought in durian-growing provinces in Thailand have seriously affected the country’s durian output.

Vietnam has become the second largest supplier of durian for China. A report found that Chinese durian imports from Vietnam in the first four months soared by 91 percent in volume and 81.9 percent in value.

Tam An