Even businesses with huge revenues cannot meet the requirements to register for export codes to China.

To illustrate this point, Ms. Mến stated: "Last year, we advised approximately 500 businesses exporting to the Chinese market. During the consultation process, one very large exporting company, with annual revenue of several trillion VND, submitted an export application to China but failed to meet the requirements simply because it could not prove the source of the water it uses." According to her, if businesses intentionally disregard regulations, it will be very difficult for them to participate in the export "game."

Highlighting some difficulties in issuing and managing planting area codes and packaging facility codes, Ms. Cao Thi Hoa Binh, Head of the Plant Protection and Crop Production Sub-Department of Lao Cai province, stated that the requirements for standards of importing countries (China) for agricultural products are increasingly stringent and frequently changing, causing certain difficulties for localities and export businesses in updating information and implementing them. The issuance of planting area codes is still in its early stages, so the awareness of some stakeholders is limited; the management of planting area codes is also difficult due to the lack of allocated funds for equipment for regular inspection and monitoring, and the application of digital technology to raw material areas.

Standardization is needed right from the start.

In addition to the requirements for registering the export of plant-based food products to China under Orders 248 and 249, Vietnamese businesses must now also comply with regulations when participating in the Free Trade Agreement signed on November 15, 2020, by the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 5 ASEAN partner countries: Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand (referred to as the RCEP bloc).

Within this bloc, China is Vietnam's largest export market for agricultural products. Currently, Vietnam has 12 types of agricultural products permitted for export to China, including traditional items such as mangoes, longan, lychees, rambutan, jackfruit, and dragon fruit. Some new fruits permitted for export in recent years include mangosteen (2019), black jelly (2020), durian, sweet potatoes (2022), bananas (2022), watermelons (2023), and coconuts (2024). Passion fruit and chili peppers are currently subject to temporary regulations, while negotiations are ongoing for items such as citrus fruits, medicinal herbs, and frozen fruits.

According to Mr. Luong Ngoc Quang, representative of the International Cooperation and Communication Department (Department of Plant Protection), the Chinese market is applying strict control measures to goods crossing the border, especially for goods traded through informal channels. To ensure exports, exporters need to negotiate market access for each individual product and renegotiate export protocols for traditional fruit varieties.

According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of the SPS Vietnam Office, exporting businesses are not yet fully complying with importer regulations. Producers in some areas are still using pesticides, antibiotics, and fertilizers improperly. "There is no other way than to strengthen linkages towards co-management of food safety and quality, contributing to standardization right from the input materials. Only when each stage fulfills its responsibilities will Vietnamese agriculture overcome its hesitation in the face of changes in the import market," Mr. Nam emphasized.