Vietnamese export products face stricter non-tariff barriers in EU

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's agricultural products need to meet the stricter requirements applied by the EU from September 1, 2019, to promote exports to this market as well as others, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Việt Nam's agricultural products need to meet stricter requirements applied by the EU from September 1, 2019 for agricultural products imported from other countries, including fruits. — Photo daidoanket

MARD’s Plant Protection Department said that from September 1, 2019, the EU has applied strict phytosanitary requirements for many kinds of agricultural products imported from countries outside the EU, including Việt Nam.

To avoid affecting Việt Nam's agricultural exports, the department has asked the sub-departments of plant quarantine to inspect Việt Nam’s shipments to the EU according to this market’s plant quarantine regulations.

For exported citrus fruits and mangoes, they must be from gardens that have been checked by plant quarantine offices and guaranteed free from pests and diseases, the department said. Information about those issues must be recorded in the phytosanitary certificate to ensure traceability.

Đào Thế Anh, Deputy Director of the Việt Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said Europe is a market with many high requirements for technical standards, quality regulations and especially high food safety. It has strictly controlled import products and traceability. Therefore, Vietnamese businesses need changes to uphold the reputations of their goods and brands.

Economic expert Ngô Trí Long said that quality is the only path for local agricultural products in the promotion of exports. This requires businesses to invest in the processing stage.

To participate in the world market, including the European market with its strict trade barriers, Vietnamese goods must ensure quality. Processing could ensure this. The processing stage not only helps to increase export value, but also ensures the sustainable development of exports, Long told the Đại đoàn kết (Great Unity) newspaper.