Vietnam, China agree to remove bottlenecks in durian export

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced on Wednesday that a delegation led by Minister Do Duc Duy is in China to work with the General Administration of Customs of China from Tuesday to Thursday to discuss and resolve difficulties in the export of Vietnam’s agricultural and aquatic products to China, especially durians.

The two sides are also preparing solutions to ensure smooth import-export activities for the upcoming lychee harvest season.

During the talks between Minister Duy and the director general of the General Administration of Customs of China, both leaders reached a high-level consensus on several solutions to enhance cooperation in trade and open market access for agro-forestry-fishery products between the two countries.

The two parties agreed to strengthen cooperation to promptly address obstacles in the import-export activities of agro-forestry-fishery products.

Agencies from both countries will accelerate negotiations, finalize procedures, and promptly sign protocols on the export of agro-forestry-fishery products.

They also agreed to establish an annual rotating ministerial-level meeting mechanism and form a joint working group on food safety inspection to enhance cooperation and address issues.

Furthermore, both sides agreed to establish a green lane for agricultural products, prioritizing fast customs clearance at border gates for fresh fruits during peak harvest seasons.

They agreed to extend working hours at border gates during harvest periods, including weekends and outside regular hours, to meet increased customs clearance demand.

According to the Plant Production and Protection Department, since early this year, Vietnam has remained the second-largest durian supplier to China. However, the export volume has dropped sharply by 71 percent, and the export value by 74 percent.

Vietnam’s durian market share in China has decreased to 28 percent from 42 percent in 2024.

One of the main reasons for this decline is the increased frequency of food safety inspections that have affected the speed and efficiency of customs clearance for Vietnam’s durian exports.

By the end of 2024, Vietnam's durian cultivation area reached nearly 179,000 hectares, with this year’s output expected to exceed 1.5 million metric tons.

Currently, Vietnam's southeastern region is in harvest season, which lasts until August. The Central Highlands is expected to harvest durians from July to October, while the Mekong Delta is nearing the end of its season.

On May 21, the General Administration of Customs of China endorsed nearly 1,000 additional durian growing areas and packaging facilities in Vietnam, creating an opportunity for Vietnam to increase both the volume and value of its durian exports to the northern neighbor.