Tra fish harvest. (Photo: Cong Mao-VNA)

2019 offers an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to expand seaborne exports to China because shipping is more convenient and cheaper. In addition, China’s tightening of food safety and hygiene is considered a good opportunity for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products to improve quality and prestige in the world market.

Truong Dinh Hoe, Secretary-General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said: “China has a high market demand and has set stricter requirements on quality. Thus better management will create a healthier and fairer environment and encourage major enterprises to participate in the process.”

To be able to export to China, Vietnamese companies should abide by the host’s compulsory requirements and technical barriers. Currently some of China’s standards on microbiology are stricter than those set by the US and European countries.

Phung Thi Thu Huong, General Director of the Green Path Vietnam Trading and Import-Export Company, said: “We should focus on the management of quality. We need to set up centers for packaging, maintenance, and verification to be established in each province. These are important for exporting more Vietnamese products.”

China has also tightened the quality management of aquatic products. According to some domestic tra fish exporters to China, the standards for exported tra fish to the US, Europe, or China are the same. Raising tra fish has become more popular in many parts of China.

Statistics released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that each year Vietnam exports to China between 1.2 and 1.3 billion USD of aquatic products. Vietnam is China’s third largest supplier. With strong development of e-commerce in China, Vietnamese aquatic products have been offered more widely online. China is dropping the output of aquaculture due to environmental issues and lower import taxes on Vietnamese aquatic products.

Recently a dozen Chinese rice import firms visited An Giang, Dong Thap, and Long An province to discuss rice trade and participated in trade promotion activities.

Pham Thien Nghia, Deputy Chairman of Dong Thap People’s Committee, said 2018 was the first year Dong Thap’s export revenue surpassed 1 billion USD, which came mainly from agricultural and aquatic products.

Nghia said the Chinese market always accounts for a high share of total export turnover.  “A number of local businesses have entered into partnership with Chinese companies in recent years. Coordination has been improving. Dong Thap’s administration pledges to create the most favorable conditions for businesses of both sides in trade and export activities,” Nghia added.