Adjust the way to register

On March 15, the Plant Protection Department issued a document on adjusting some contents of Official Dispatch No. 953/BVTV-ATTPMT.

Accordingly, based on the Official Note of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department (General Department of China Customs), Letter No. 008/2023 of the Economic and Trade Chamber (Chinese Embassy in Vietnam) and Official Letter No TCOCD 317 of the Embassy of Vietnam in China, the Plant Protection Department announced the adjustment of some contents of Official Letter No. 953/BVTV-ATTPMT guiding enterprises producing food of plant origin to register for export Imported into China under Order No. 248 regulating the management of registration and foreign enterprises producing food imported into China (referred to as Order 248).

Specifically, food products of plant origin specified in Section 1.1 of Official Letter No. 953/BVTV-ATTPMT continue to register for export to China on the online registration system https://cifer.singlewindow.cn of the General Administration of Customs of China (CIFER for short).

However, fresh vegetables, spices of plant origin (not crushed, not ground), dried beans, food grains (except rice), oil seeds, unprocessed coffee beans, cocoa will not perform on CIFER.

The above items will be registered by submitting a dossier consisting of documents required by the General Administration of Customs of China to the Plant Protection Department (Department of Food Safety and Environment) via email: qlattpmt.bvtv@mard.gov.vn. The results of registration for export codes will be published on the website of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Department (General Administration of China) at http://dzs.customs.gov.cn.

Enterprises that already have export codes (in the form of quick registration before December 31, 2021) are responsible for providing and updating dossier information as required in Section 5 of the General Department's Note 353 2021. China Customs before July 1, 2023.

Quality is a decisive factor for sustainable agricultural products to be exported to markets. Photo: N.H

There is still a situation of code impersonation

The Plant Protection Department also recommends that enterprises carefully study the provisions of Order 248 and the instructions in the above dispatches to supplement information, and ensure the maintenance of the issued export code to avoid the case of not adding information. The General Administration of Customs of China will cancel the code and temporarily stop exporting for enterprises. Enterprises wishing to export to China need to carefully consult China's regulations, and carefully read and update the instructions of specialized agencies in the above dispatches to implement.

Updating the results of the implementation of Orders 248 and Order 249, Huynh Tan Dat, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, said that up to now, the General Department of Customs of China has issued 435 registration codes for Vietnamese enterprises to export of commodity groups, including cereals for food; fresh vegetables, dehydrated vegetables; spices of natural origin; nuts and seeds; dry fruit; frozen fruit.

In addition, China has signed a protocol to import bananas, mangosteen, black jelly, rice bran, bran, sweet potato, and durian. The Plant Protection Department and the General Administration of Customs of China are negotiating to sign a protocol to export traditional fresh fruits, such as watermelon, dragon fruit, mango, jackfruit, longan, litchi and rambutan; interim guidance for chili, passion fruit; are negotiating techniques to export sweet potatoes (signed the Protocol), some citrus trees and coconuts, and at the same time, have submitted documents for custard apple and cardamom.

According to the Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, the changes in the Chinese market today are the strict control of goods crossing the border, especially the form of border trade (small quota); required to negotiate market opening for each type of product; manage imported products in the form of signing the Protocol; required to declare the growing area code and packing facility.

Notably, there is still a situation of impersonating codes, using incorrect codes for export, affecting the reputation of Vietnamese goods. “To solve this problem, the Plant Protection Department has recently built a database and announced the planting area codes. At the same time, coordinate with plant quarantine sub-departments at border gates to strictly control them. However, in order for the management to be more effective, it is necessary to have the companionship of localities, the sense of responsibility of businesses as well as industry associations in the management of issued codes,” Dat said.