Japan moves to open market to Vietnamese pomelo, passion fruit

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung and Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Takebe Arata discussed the plans during talks in Japan on November 6.

During the meeting, Takebe called for faster market access procedures for agricultural products, including pomelos, grapes, peaches, and passion fruits, as well as pufferfish, pork, beef, and chicken.

Japan also requested that Vietnam shorten the review process for Japanese seafood exporters seeking to enter the Vietnamese market.

Minister Hung agreed to consider Japan's proposals for pufferfish and meat products on a reciprocal, product-by-product basis.

Both sides will prioritize completing procedures for Vietnamese pomelos and Japanese grapes, aiming to bring the products to each other's market during the 2027 harvest season.

They will then work toward opening markets for Vietnamese passion fruits, Japanese peaches, Vietnamese pet food containing poultry meat, and Japanese pufferfish.

Hung also pledged to speed up the review of registration applications from Japanese seafood exporters while calling for closer technical coordination between the two countries.

Beyond market access, the Vietnamese minister called for stronger cooperation under the Vietnam-Japan medium- and long-term Vision for agricultural cooperation for 2025-30, signed in September 2025.

He urged Japan to support Vietnam in developing green and circular agriculture, reducing emissions, adapting to climate change, and advancing digital transformation and smart farming.

He also encouraged Japanese businesses to invest in agricultural production, transfer technology, and help develop sustainable value chains in Vietnam, particularly in crop varieties, post-harvest technologies, and food processing.

At the multilateral level, Hung invited Japan to become a co-founding partner of the Partnership for Climate-Responsive and Responsible Transformation of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Value Chains (P-CRAFT), an initiative aimed at promoting sustainable agri-food value chains through technology and innovation.