Hanoi (VNA) – China spent 805 million USD on importing vegetables and fruitsfrom Vietnam in the first four months of 2023, up 29% year-on-year, accordingto the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit).

The associationreported that China led the top five importers of Vietnam's vegetables andfruits with exports to the country accounting for 59% of Vietnam’s total exportvolume.

Dang PhucNguyen, General Secretary of Vinafruit, said that Vietnam’s export revenue inJune set a record so far thanks to China’s opening to many Vietnamese fruitssuch as durian and grapefruit.

Nguyen forecast that the export of vegetables and fruits in the next months, especially to theChinese market, will continue to grow as Vietnam has entered the fruit harvesting season.

Accordingto the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), Vietnam’s total import-export turnoverto China in the first five months hit 62.2 billion USD, with Vietnam's exportsto China reaching 19.8 billion USD, down 9.3% compared to the same period last year.

Expertsattributed the reduction to China’s stricter requirements for productstandards and quality.

In thecontext of increasingly fierce competition, to maintain and expand the market sharein the Chinese market, Vietnamese producers and exporters need to swiftly standardisetheir production and business activities and better the quality standards oftheir products to meet the stricter requirements of this market, they said.

Ministerof Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said China is no longer an easy marketas before, and that this big economy has long been a key exporter of many products.Chinese exports are quite similar to those from Vietnam, posing both advantagesand challenges for Vietnamese goods, he noted.

For betterexports to the market, the minister advised businesses to adapt theirproduction methods towards safety and specific standards, and ensure that theircultivation processes meet traceability requirements.

Insiderssaid that competitive pressure in the Chinese market is increasing as morecountries eye on exploiting and expanding their market share in this country.

Therefore,Vietnamese management agencies, businesses, and industry associations should havea clear understanding of relevant information and implement synchronisedsolutions, focusing on improving the quality of goods and promoting exports viaofficial channels.

Accordingto Luong Van Tai from the Vietnam Trade Office in Beijing, Vietnamese firms exporting vegetables and fruits should explore investment and collaboration opportunitieswith Chinese businesses in the processing of vegetables and fruits, towards increasingthe value of exports and keeping up with the growing trend of the processed fruitand vegetable consumption in recent years./.