Signing the Protocol on the export of fresh bananas from Vietnam to China

On November 1, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for fresh bananas exported from Vietnam to China.

Expanding the market for Vietnamese bananas in the Chinese market

The Protocol consists of eight articles, providing for general provisions, registration, management of growing areas, packaging and processing, pre-export quarantine inspection, phytosanitary inspection at the border, additional assessment and entry into force of the Protocol. Accordingly, the Protocol will be in force for 5 years.

According to the Protocol, fresh bananas exported from Vietnam to the Chinese market are unripe bananas that are harvested within 10-16 weeks after flowering. Ripe or cracked bananas will not be exported to China.

Fresh bananas must comply with the phytosanitary requirements specified in the Protocol and not be contaminated with any phytosanitary objects of interest to the Chinese side. When the fresh banana arrives at the Chinese border gate, China Customs will check the relevant documents and records and complete the quarantine inspection process.

All banana growing areas and packing facilities exported to China must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and approved by both the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China. Registration information includes names, addresses and codes so that when any product is found that does not comply with the requirements of the protocol, it can be accurately traced.

Before exporting, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must send to the General Administration of Customs of China a list of registrations for approval and regular updates. This list will be published on the official website of the General Administration of Customs of China.

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, all planting areas registered for export to China must develop a quality management and traceability system, and apply good agricultural practices (GAP). ) for example maintaining sanitary conditions in the growing area and away from sources of contamination, removing fallen and rotten fruit. Area managers must implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must adopt a management process to organize planting area monitoring activities for the phytosanitary species subject to China's interest throughout the year.

During the first 2 years from the date of entry into force of the Protocol, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must conduct phytosanitary inspection, taking 2% samples. Within 2 years, if no phytosanitary violations are detected, the sampling rate will be reduced to 1%.

The Protocol specifies cases in which exports to China are refused. Accordingly, bananas of unapproved growing areas and packing facilities, or ripe bananas, will be refused import.

In case of detecting plant quarantine objects or having soil and plant residues, the consignment will be returned or destroyed or handled. In the event that the shipment is found to be inconsistent with China's national food safety standards, the shipment will not be allowed to be imported or destroyed.

The General Administration of Customs of China will notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development if it finds non-compliance with the requirements and suspend the import of bananas from the relevant growing regions and packing facilities. According to the rectification results of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the General Administration of Customs of China will decide whether to cancel the suspension or not.

Expand export market

Up to now, there are 11 kinds of Vietnamese fruits that have been officially exported to China, including: dragon fruit, watermelon, litchi, longan, banana, mango, jackfruit, rambutan, mangosteen, passion fruit, durian. Among them, Vietnam and China have signed 4 Protocols on the export of mangosteen, durian, passion fruit and banana to China. Currently, the two sides are negotiating to sign the export of sweet potatoes and fresh pomelos to China.

According to statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the country's banana production is about 2.1 million tons/year. Banana is a fruit that can be harvested all year round. In 2021, bananas are Vietnam's third largest export fruit, after dragon fruit and mango. Vietnam has many precious and high-value specialty banana varieties, which are evaluated as sweeter, more fragrant and more beautiful in color than other countries.

The General Department of Customs estimated that Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export value in September reached 250 million USD, up 8.1% over the same period last year. In general, in the first 9 months of 2022, the export value of fruit and vegetable products is estimated at 2.45 billion USD, down 11% compared to the same period in 2021. In the structure of exported fruit and vegetable products in the past 8 months , dragon fruit still accounts for the largest proportion with a value of nearly 463 million USD. However, compared to the same period last year, the turnover of this item decreased by nearly 40%. Banana products ranked second with 237 million USD, up more than 28% over the same period last year.

According to businesses, despite difficulties due to China's "Zero Covid" policy, banana exports of companies to this market are still positive with an export growth of 20-30% over the same period last year. .

Explaining the reason why China increased the import of bananas from the Vietnamese market, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen - General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association - said that our country is geographically closer to China than other countries. other country. This is a favorable factor.

In addition, China's banana acreage has decreased due to the increased cost of agricultural inputs, land rental and labor costs, making farmers less interested in growing bananas. The impact of the Panama disease also caused a sharp decline in the quality of bananas in China due to the use of disease-resistant varieties.

Businesses said that banana exports will increase sharply because the Chinese market has a high demand for the product. Banana prices will also fluctuate strongly in the last months of the year. Therefore, to increase the chances of exporting goods to this country.

Currently, China has a need to import bananas of 1 billion USD, of which the Philippines accounts for 50%, Cambodia 20%, and Vietnam only 16%. Experts say that the Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for fresh bananas signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China will bring significant growth. for Vietnamese bananas in this market.