On the occasion of the State visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China today (August 19) signed three important protocols, paving the way for the export of fresh coconut, frozen durian and crocodile to the Chinese market.

The signing of this protocol is an important step forward in agricultural trade relations between the two countries, especially for Vietnam's agricultural sector.

The signed protocols include: Protocol on inspection, phytosanitary inspection and food safety for frozen durian exported from Vietnam to China; Protocol on phytosanitary requirements for fresh coconut exported from Vietnam to China and Protocol on quarantine and health requirements for farmed crocodiles exported from Vietnam to China.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, frozen durian is considered a priority product with the potential to contribute significantly to agricultural export turnover. The official opening of the Chinese market for this product is expected to create great opportunities for the Vietnamese durian industry.

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In addition to fresh durian, Vietnam has also officially exported frozen durian to the Chinese market. Photo: Manh Khuong

In 2023, our country exported about 500,000 tons of durian, reaching a turnover of 2.3 billion USD, of which exports to China accounted for 90%.

Frozen durian is a new product with higher added value than fresh durian. Opening the market for this product will help diversify processing, reduce pressure on harvest season, and create greater added value for the durian industry.

It is expected that frozen durian exports could reach an export turnover of 400-500 million USD in 2024 - the first year after signing the protocol - and will be included in the list of agricultural export products worth billions of USD in 2025.

Similarly, fresh coconut is also a product with great export potential. The signing of this protocol marks the end of the technical negotiations between the two sides, opening up opportunities for Vietnamese fresh coconut to officially access the market of 1.4 billion people.

Vietnam is one of the world's largest coconut producers and exporters, with a growing area of ​​about 175,000 hectares, mainly concentrated in the Mekong Delta. Opening the Chinese market, fresh coconut export turnover is expected to increase by 200-300 million USD in 2024 and continue to grow strongly in the following years.

This not only brings economic benefits but also motivates the Vietnamese coconut industry to develop sustainably and improve product quality to meet international standards.

Crocodile is the third product on the list of signed agreements, demonstrating the diversification of Vietnam's agricultural exports. The crocodile farming industry in Vietnam has developed over the past 30 years. Crocodile products such as meat, skin and other parts have high economic value. Therefore, opening the Chinese market to crocodiles will create great opportunities for this industry.

This is not only an economic opportunity but also a driving force for the Vietnamese crocodile farming industry to develop in a sustainable direction, ensuring environmental and animal welfare standards.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that the signing of these three protocols was the result of active exchanges and negotiations between specialized units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China.

“We expect this to contribute to strongly promoting agricultural exports, especially the newly signed products to the Chinese market, contributing significantly to the growth of the industry. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to work with the General Administration of Customs of China to implement the next steps to ensure that Vietnamese enterprises can export the above products to the Chinese market in the coming time,” said the Minister.

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