Huge demand for Vietnamese products in the Chinese market

Databases from the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that in the first 11 months of 2023, the total export turn-over of the whole agricultural sector of Vietnam reached US$47.84 billion.

Although the figure was around 2.7 percent lower than in the same period last year, the agricultural sector maintains a bright spot in the economy as other industries have suffered from a heavy downtrend including the processing industry, fuel and minerals and so on with a sharp decline in export turnover and the biggest decrease was coal with its downtrend of up to 50.7 percent.

Agricultural products have become the only sector with an uptrend in exports with an estimated turnover of some US$29.5 billion.

During the first 11 months of 2023, China, the United States of America and Japan were Vietnam’s three biggest export markets in agriculture, forestry and fishery products.

Of which, the Chinese market accounted for 23.2 percent with a growth rate of 18 percent over the same period last year while the figures in the American and Japanese markets were 20.6 percent and 17.9 percent, respectively.

Thus, China has become the biggest customer of Vietnam for the products mentioned above.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang evaluated that 2023 was a remarkable year for vegetable exports with a turnover of US$5.32 billion in the first 11 months, increasing 74.5 percent over the same period last year, followed by rice with an increase in both quality and quantity with 7.75 million tons and US$4.4 billion, an year on year increase of 16.2 percent and 36.3 percent respectively.

Secretary General of the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association Dang Phuc Nguyen evaluated that 2023 was a “blossomed” year of exporting fruit, especially durian.

The exportation of Vietnamese durian to China has sometimes surged strongly up to 161.8 percent. At the current times, the functional agencies of Vietnam are trying to negotiate with the Chinese side to officially export two products including frozen durian and fresh coconut.

If there is not any fluctuation in the market, it is expected that the export turnover of vegetables in the country in 2024 could reach more than US$6 billion.

Apart from vegetables, rice exports to China have increased sharply during the passing time with an uptrend of 55.2 percent over the same period last year. Besides, exports of cashews, coffee, animal feed and so on to the Chinese market have surged strongly from 11.4 percent to 42.3 percent.

Negotiations of protocols for official export

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Thanh Hoa, China has granted official export permission for 12 varieties of vegetables from Vietnam.

In addition, the General Administration of Customs of China has also announced a list of over 800 Vietnamese seafood processing enterprises meeting the export requirements to China and approved product codes for 40 facilities packaging live crab and lobster, five ones packaging black tiger shrimp and white-leg shrimp, 128 types of products and 48 aquatic species of Vietnam.

This is a condition for Vietnamese businesses to access and continue to promote exports and exploit the market with 1.4 billion people.

Regarding seafood products, although the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported a 18.9 percent year on year decrease in the first 11 months of the year, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers identified that China has maintained the main export market of various seafood products of Vietnam.

At the current times, 30 percent of the Vietnamese pangasuis export value has been gained from the Chinese market. This year, Vietnam is the seventh biggest provider of seafood to China.

According to Director of the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Nhu Cuong, apart from fruit, Vietnam has also exported vegetables and agricultural products to China. Due to persistent torrential rains and floods in China’s localities this year, the country has had a huge demand for imports from Vietnam.

However, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung stated that to stably export fruit, vegetables and agricultural products to China, it is important to strengthen planning, issue planting area codes, ensure the quality of products to boost official export activities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is collaborating with relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen negotiations to sign protocols for exporting agricultural products to China as well as potential markets.

During the passing time, various Vietnamese agricultural products were exported to China with record high turnover growth thanks to protocols of official export.

Vietnam has had 13 agricultural products being officially exported to China, comprising bird's nest, sweet potato, dragon fruit, longan, rambutan, mango, jackfruit, watermelon, banana, mangosteen, lychee, passion fruit and durian.

In November, official batches of bird’s nests from Vietnam have been exported to the market.

In order to continue to open up export markets for agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang also affirmed that the ministry will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to negotiate with Chinese authorities to additionally open export markets for other Vietnamese fruit and vegetables products such as green-skin pomelo grapefruit, fresh coconut, avocado, pineapple, star apple, lemon, melon and so on.

In addition, the functional forces of the two sides will work and regulate and speed up goods customs clearance in the border gates areas between Vietnam and China to rapidly export seasonal agricultural and aquatic products to China. They will work to switch it to official export.

The Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development continue to negotiate with the General Administration of Customs of China toward the protocol for rest fruits in order to shorten procedures checking at border gates and add more products to the list of Vietnamese agricultural products to be exported to China.