Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese businesses and farmers face various challenges in exportingfarm produce to China, which is shifting from unofficial channels to officialones.

Statisticsshow up to 70 percent of Vietnamese agricultural exports to China have beenshipped via unofficial channels.

However,the Chinese side has set new conditions and policies towards agriculturalimports from Vietnam, putting many Vietnamese exporters in a pickle.

Accordingto Nguyen Cong Truong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Lang Sonprovince, which borders China, China has tightened policies regarding borderresidents and product packaging and preservation. 

Notably,all Vietnamese goods must enter the Chinese market via official channels andwith contracts, the official said.  

Truongsaid Vietnamese traders face huge risks exporting via unofficial channels astheir products may avoid the weak control set up by Vietnam to penetrate Chinathrough trails, but they can still be stopped by Chinese forces.

Moreover,local firms don’t abide by China’s requirements of origin traceability, saidHoang Khanh Duy, head of the export-import bureau under the provincialDepartment of Industry and Trade.

Thedepartment said it takes customs officers at the Tan Thanh border gate 3-5minutes to inspect a truck. Therefore, only about 180 trucks crossed the gateeach day in the first quarter of this year, leaving 500-700 others in the queuefor border customs control.

Duringthe period, the revenue of farm produce export through Lang Son’s border gates fulfilledonly 21.3 percent of its set target, equivalent to 89.5 percent of the amountrecorded in the same period last year, the department said.

LaoDong (Labour) daily reported that local businesses prefer unofficial exports whichcost them less in terms of packaging and transportation although they face morerisks.

Duysaid Vietnam aims to export more agricultural products to China via officialchannels, which requires greater efforts from State management agencies,enterprises and farmers to satisfy technical requirements set by theneighbouring country.

However,if successful, the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese products will improveand they will have chances to join the global market more deeply, he said.-VNA