At a seminar held in Hanoi on December 24, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Doan Thi Thu Thuy said that Vietnam-China trade ties have enjoyed robust development in recent years, and China has been among largest trade partners of Vietnam thanks to their similarities in culture and customs.
As shipments to China have increased in recent years, Vietnam has narrowed down its trade gap with the neighboring country, with trade deficit falling from USD 28 billion in 2016 to USD 22.7 billion in 2017, said Nguyen Huu Quan, a representative of the MoIT’s Department for Asian and African Markets.
Two-way trade during January-November hit USD 97.25 billion, a year-on-year surge of 16.07 percent, of which Vietnam exported USD 37.66 billion worth of products, up 21.7 percent from the same time last year.
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Dragon fruit is among products allowed to enter Chinese market. |
According to Vietnamese Trade Counselor in China Dao Viet Anh, Vietnamese aquatic products, particularly frozen shrimps, tra fish, crab and octopus, among others, have been favoured in China.
The Southwestern region of China has huge demand for cutlass fish while Yunnan province is also in need of seafood imports, Anh said, adding that but transportation and customs clearance pose challenges for Vietnamese firms to bring their products to the Chinese market.
Currently, Vietnamese dragon fruits, water melon, litchi, longan, mango, rambutan, banana and jackfruit have been allowed to enter China, and negotiations are underway for custard apple, passion fruit, pomelo, mangosteen, and rose apple, he added.
At the seminar, experts suggested establishing cooperation mechanisms among managers, businesses and farmers to ensure food safety in the value chain. They said that this will help exporters build rational promotion campaigns for both domestic and foreign markets.
Source: VNA