VietNamNet Bridge - China has always been a big consumer of Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits, but most exports go into the country through unofficial channels across border gates.


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Pink flesh pomelo




Dao Hoai Phuong from Huong Mien Tay Company said the major market for buoi da xanh (pink flesh pomelo), a specialty of Ben Tre, is China.

However, since September 20, this fruit cannot go through Chinese border-gate customs agencies because the fruit is not listed among farm produce imported to China through official channels.

As a result, the sale of buoi da xanh to China has been interrupted, though there is high demand. 

The same thing has happened with other kinds of fruits. If China stops buying, Vietnamese farmers will suffer heavily, because China is the biggest consumer.

Only eight types of fruits have been allowed to enter China through official channels, namely mango, dragonfruit, longan, rambutan, banana, litchi, jackfruit and watermelon after negotiations between agencies of the two countries.

Only eight types of fruits have been allowed to enter China through official channels, namely mango, dragonfruit, longan, rambutan, banana, litchi, jackfruit and watermelon after negotiations between agencies of the two countries.
Meanwhile, according to Luong Ngoc Trung Lap from Cat Tuong Farm Produce, there are up to 40 kinds of fruit which have great potential for export, especially to China, which is expected to buy 70-80 percent. 

This means that tens of kinds of Vietnam’s fruits still have to go to China through unofficial channels.

Chinese provinces are applying specific policies which aim to attract investment and trade to improve revenue. This means that some provinces still accept cross-border imports from Vietnam. However, China is switching to importing products through official ways,

Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T Group, said that importing products through official means helps to control pesticide residue, product quality and growing areas.

Exporters hope that agencies will continue negotiations for market opening to pave the way for more Vietnam’s fruit to enter the Chinese market.

“The eight kinds of fruit that got ‘visas’ to China nine years ago. And there is no further market opening for other kinds of fruits,” Lap complained, adding that the Ministries of Agriculture & Rural Development and Industry & Trade were too slow in doing this.

Exporters heard from some sources that agencies are considering negotiations for exporting plums and custard-apples. However, they have not consulted enterprises.

The director of a fruit export company said he could not understand why agencies wanted to export plum and custard-apple, but not durian, pineapple and star apple, which have high output.


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