Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China are entering a new phase in which stricter requirements on quality, traceability and sustainable production are reshaping the market, prompting Vietnamese firms to shift decisively from volume-based exports to a model driven by quality, food safety and compliance with standards, experts said.

This view was shared at the first Vietnam – China agricultural trade forum, jointly organised by the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VFVA) and the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Chinese Business Association in Vietnam, in the southern metropolis on June 24.

Huge room for export growth

VFVA Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh said benefiting from diverse natural conditions, Vietnam produces a wide range of high-quality agricultural products such as durian, dragon fruit, banana, jackfruit, pomelo, coconut, coffee, pepper and rice. The fruit and vegetable sector has emerged as a bright spot in agriculture, growing by more than 20% annually and contributing significantly to total export turnover.

China remains the largest export market for Vietnam's agricultural products while also acting as a strategic partner with considerable influence in regional agri-food value chains, he said.

Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said China’s large economy and expanding middle class are driving strong demand for safe, high-quality and traceable farm produce.

One of the factors facilitating Vietnam’s agricultural exports is the accelerating process of market opening. Vietnam has been granted permission to officially export more than 20 types of fruits and vegetables to China. In 2025 alone, the two countries signed five new protocols covering chili, passion fruit, rice bran, raw bird’s nest, and fresh jackfruit. Among them, fresh jackfruit began official export on June 1, 2026, and is expected to become the next billion-dollar foreign currency earner after durian.

Notably, Vietnam and China signed a protocol in Beijing on April 15, 2026, opening the market for grapefruit and lime, concluding seven years of technical negotiations.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei said bilateral trade exceeded 290 billion USD in 2025, with agricultural trade standing out as a bright spot. Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to China rose from over 100 million USD in 2011 to more than 1 billion USD in 2015, and continued to grow strongly, reaching 5.5 billion USD in 2025.

Vietnam is currently the second-largest fruit and vegetable supplier to China, holding a 22.55% market share. In the first quarter of this year, its agricultural and food exports to China rose 37.4%, more than six times the overall export growth rate.

The diplomat said that besides the market factor, logistics connectivity, “green lanes” for farm produce, modern cold chain systems, smart customs and QR-based traceability are helping shorten clearance times and improve transparency, thus enhancing consumer confidence in Vietnamese agricultural products.

Shift to quality and sustainability

Despite great opportunities, experts warned that China is no longer an “easy market”. Binh noted China is shifting toward high-quality and high-standard products, with growing attention to food safety, origin and quality.

Phu also warned that China’s regulations on plant quarantine, traceability, production unit codes, packaging unit codes, and food safety are becoming increasingly stringent. Meanwhile, many Vietnamese enterprises still operate in small-scale models with weak value-chain linkages, making it difficult to consistently meet the quality standards required by the import market.

Competition is also intensifying as countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Chile, Peru and Australia expand their presence in China. Meanwhile, the Northeast Asian market is strengthening domestic production and diversifying import sources to ensure food security.

Phu said Vietnam must undergo a comprehensive transformation, shifting from output-driven mindset to a quality- and brand-based approach, while developing standardised raw material zones, promoting deep processing and aligning trade promotion activities with value chains.

He also stressed the need for strict traceability systems and stronger use of e-commerce platforms, modern distribution systems and large retail channels in China to expand the market share, instead of relying solely on traditional export channels.

Sharing the same view, Zhang Lin, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Branch of the Chinese Business Association in Vietnam, said stronger bilateral ties, improved logistics and digital transformation offer major opportunities for Vietnamese farm produce to strengthen its position in the billion-people market.

However, he said, sustained success depends on quality upgrading, brand building and sustainable value chain development./.