Vietnamese Fruits Below New Chinese Standard, Exports Decrease
Vietnam’s exports of fruits and vegetables to China via Lao Cai border gate have been decreasing since the beginning of 2008 because they failed to meet China’s new quarantine standards, the Vietnam Trade Information Center reported.
According to Lao Cai province’s Customs Service, no new local companies won contracts to export fruits to China since the country’s Plant Quarantine Department applied WTO’s regulations on food safety and hygiene at the border gate.
“At the same time of last year, exports of fruits and vegetables at this border gate were very crowded,” an official from the Lao Cai border gate management committee said.
“The number of trucks from Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Binh Duong, and Ninh Thuan with various kinds of fruits waiting for export, but this year the atmosphere has been so quite.” he said.
Previously, Lao Cai was one of the most crowded border gates with total between 5,000 and 7,000 tons of fresh fruits exported to China per year.
Vietnam exported nearly US$10.54 million worth of fruits and vegetables to China in the first four months of 2008, recognizing the country as its fourth biggest importer following Hong Kong, Russia, and Indonesia.
Between January and April, Vietnam exported US$25.1 million fruits and vegetables to Hong Kong, US$12.9 million to Russia and US$10.55 million to Indonesia. (Vinanet)
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