Vietnam asks China to remove difficulties for lobster exports

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien asked China to consider, remove difficulties and give transition time for Vietnamese lobsters to be imported into this country.

The above proposal was made by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien at the 12th meeting of the Vietnam - China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee on November 27.

In response, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said Vietnamese businesses need to register their production and packaging facilities with Chinese customs. The two countries' competent authorities also need to promptly inspect and evaluate businesses and growing areas to export this item to China.

Spiny lobster - the top economic value item in Vietnam's seafood group - has been suspended from import into China for more than two months - causing prices to plummet, affecting shrimp farmers in Phu Yen .

The reason is due to new regulations in China's Wildlife Protection Law. Accordingly, for farmed spiny lobsters, this country requires clear proof of the farming process; no wild-caught sources are used (the offspring must be of the F2 generation).

Lobster at a seafood store in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ganhhaisan

Importers of countries (including Vietnam) wishing to import this item into China will have to apply for a Wildlife Protection license from the Fisheries Department (Ministry of Agriculture of China).

China is the largest market for Vietnamese lobsters. As of the end of August, lobster exports to this country reached 76 million USD, down 42% compared to the same period in 2022. Each kilogram of spiny lobsters is being sold by farmers for 1-1.3 million VND, down half compared to two months ago. This level is also 45% lower than the same period last year.

Today, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao also said that the country has a great demand for high-quality agricultural products from Vietnam . Many Vietnamese agricultural products are popular and sell very well on some of China's major e-commerce platforms. He cited the example of durian , after 10 months of opening, this fruit has reached nearly 2 billion USD in export turnover to China.

Mr. Dao also said that he would support and create conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to build a foothold and brand in the world's most populous market. This agency also supports the Ministry of Industry and Trade and supports the establishment of Vietnamese trade promotion offices in China.

In response to China’s proposals, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said he is ready to cooperate in opening, upgrading and building a smart border gate in Lang Son. This is to improve customs clearance and increase agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

China is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner and import market. It is also Vietnam's second largest export partner, after the United States. Last year, Vietnam-China trade turnover reached nearly 175.6 billion USD, an increase of more than 5% compared to 2021.

On the other hand, Vietnam is China’s fourth largest trading partner and its largest trading partner in ASEAN. In the first 10 months of this year, Vietnamese exports to China grew quite well, reaching nearly 50 billion USD.

Vnexpress.net