Measures sought to promote farm produce exports through northern border gates

Delegates at an agricultural product connection forum hich focused on seeking ways to promote farm produce trade between Vietnam and China (Photo: VNA)

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the People’s Committee of the northern border province of Lao Cai on February 10 jointly held an agricultural product connection forum, which focused on seeking ways to promote farm produce trade between Vietnam and China.

The virtual forum, which connected more than 400 members inside and outside the country, drew a large number of State agencies and farm produce exporters.

It was held in the context that China is loosening COVID-19 prevention and control measures and will resume entry-exit and import-export activities with northern localities of Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the Asia-Africa Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) To Ngoc Son said that last year, trade between Vietnam and China reached 175.5 billion USD. With a population of over 1.41 billion, China is a very important export market for the Vietnamese agricultural sector, consuming 53.7% of total vegetable and fruit exports of Vietnam.

China is the third largest importer of Vietnamese aquatic products only after the US and Japan.(Photo: VNA)

Particularly, China is the third largest importer of Vietnamese aquatic products only after the US and Japan.

Son said that in order to promote exports to China, domestic firms should pay greater attention to building and protecting trademarks, while understanding market demand and strengthening the application of technology to trade activities. He advised exporters to optimise the Vietnam-China railway and e-commerce activities.

Meanwhile, Huynh Tan Dat, Deputy Director of the MARD’s Plant Protection Department, said that China is applying higher trade barriers and requirements for imported farm produce.

He underlined that it is necessary to include discussions on the removal of technical barriers and the opening of market for farm produce to high-level meetings between the two countries. Meanwhile, it is crucial to persify export markets for different kinds of agricultural products, he said.

Vice Chairwoman of the Lao Cai Business Association Nguyen Thi Nguyet said that in order to deal with congestion at the border gates, it is necessary to extend customs clearance at the gates to 10pm every day.

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province Hoang Quoc Khanh proposed that the MARD support businesses in production and trademark building, while signing a protocol with the Chinese side on plant quarantine for Vietnamese agricultural products to reduce the time and procedures for inspection and control at border gates.

Regarding requirements for farm produce following China’s Orders No. 248 and No. 249, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that exporters should collaborate with local agricultural firms to develop material regions, while coordinating with authorised agencies in granting codes for farming areas and packing facilities to meet China’s requirements.

He advised exporters to contact authorised agencies at the border gates to make sure they clearly understand the customs clearance procedures to avoid congestion. The speedy clearance would ensure the quality of products and save costs, Nam added./.