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China cuts Vietnamese agricultural imports by half
China has reduced its imports of several Vietnamese agricultural products by nearly half since mid-March, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
It said that China used to import roughly 800 tonnes each of cassava starch, peanuts, beans and sesame, down from roughly 1,500 tonnes previously. China uses these products for its food processing and confectionery industries.
The drop is attributed by the MoIT to the impact of the global economic downturn, which has caused problems for China’s food processing and confectionery industries finding markets.
This has led to China needing smaller amounts of raw materials, including agricultural products from Vietnam, the ministry explained.
Chinese importers have begun paying closer attention to product quality due to the import restrictions.
Only China’s demand for Vietnamese cashew nuts has remained the same, at roughly 200 tonnes per week.
Total trade between the two countries reached nearly US$19.5 billion last year, up by 28.8 percent over the previous year, according to the MoIT’s figures.
However, China recently brought in new regulations on imported fresh agricultural products, which are expected to be difficult for exporters to meet.
Fresh agricultural products exported to China will now be required to pass more stringent quality controls. The products will also have to be better packed, with clearly marked labels that describe the place of origin, date of processing and other quality specifications.
On July 1, fresh fruit such as watermelons, longans, lychees, bananas and dragon fruit exported to China will need certificates of origin from the orchards. The fruits will also need to be packed by registered packaging manufacturers.
vietnamnews, VOV
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