China agreed to import Vietnamese passion fruit from July 1

According to the Vietnam SPS Office, the Chinese government has recently agreed to import Vietnamese passion fruit starting from July 1, through border gates in Guangxi province such as Pingxiang, Dongxing, etc.

The Chinese market suggested Vietnamese exporters to closely monitor packaging requirements, pest control issues, planting area codes, record keeping among others to ensure quality as well as hygiene and food safety before exporting to China.

In addition, China has introduced five pest species subject to quarantine that are not allowed on passion fruits when imported into this country.

China General Department of Customs requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to cooperate in taking samples for inspection in export shipments. China also suggested that the production of passion fruit must meet the requirements of good agricultural practices such as VietGAP or GlobalGAP. 

China's agreement to the import of passion fruit from July 1 is the result of the enduring efforts by the Department of Plant Protection and related agencies in extensive negotiations with the Chinese government.

Vietnamese passion fruit is among the top 10 local fruit trees with the highest export value in 2021. For the past 5 years, the output and export value of Vietnamese passion fruit has increased by over 300%. Vietnamese passion fruit exports are currently ranked behind only Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador.

The planting area of Vietnamese passion fruit has continuously increased over the past few years, especially in the Central Highlands provinces. The output of Vietnamese passion fruit is estimated at 135,000 tons, with main producers situated in Gia Lai and Dak Lak. Profit per hectare of passion fruit is estimated within the range of 350 to 400 million dong.

On the sidelines of the 83rd session of the SPS-WTO Committee on June 21, the Vietnamese delegation led by the Vietnam SPS Office had a bilateral meeting with the Chinese delegation led by Mr. Bi Zhonglin, Permanent Ambassador of China to WTO.

At the meeting, the delegates from Vietnam made various proposals to the other party, including strengthening cooperation and ensuring trade in agricultural products. China promised to consider opening the door to import other agricultural products such as passion fruit, purple sweet potato and pomelo in the near future.