This was the strongest decline among Vietnam’s top 10 export markets for fruits and vegetables, with China the biggest market.

In the first seven months of the year, Vietnam exported $1.6 billion worth of fruits and vegetables to China, down 8.1 percent year-on-year, according to Vietnam Customs.

China was the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables in the seven-month period, accounting for 70 percent, but this was down from 74.9 percent last year.

While the export value of fruits and vegetables to Thailand and the United Arab Emirates also declined, that of other major importers surged double digits.

The U.S., Vietnam’s second biggest buyer with 3.7 percent share of export value, bought 13.6 percent more fruits and vegetables, followed by South Korea (up 13 percent) and Japan (up 25.9 percent).

According to the Fruit and Vegetables Association (VinaFruit), Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports will continue facing difficulties in the last months of 2019 as a result of uncertainty caused by the escalating U.S.-China trade war, dampening investment and commercial activities.

Exports to China are unlikely to improve, as the country is tightening its regulations on fruit imports. In May, China began requiring Vietnamese traders to provide stamps of origin, area code and phytosanitary certificates for the fruits that they export.

Vietnam exported fruits and vegetables worth $2.3 billion in the first seven months of the year, a year-on-year decline of 1.8 percent, Vietnam Customs reported.