The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed that the General Administration of China Customs agree to a protocol for seafood safety, quarantine, and inspection in order to shore up Vietnamese shipments to China.

The proposal is also aimed at easing a large backlog of container trucks carrying Vietnamese farm produce stuck at northern border gates.

The ministry sent a telegram to the General Administration of China Customs on Thursday putting forward several solutions to boost export and import activities between Vietnam and China.

The Vietnamese ministry also proposed the Chinese customs agency consider approving certain fruits and fish products for export to China.

Vietnamese exporters which meet all export requirements set by the Chinese agency should be allowed to ship seafood to China as soon as possible, according to the ministry.

Moreover, the Vietnamese agency proposed allowing shipments of fresh seafood to enter China via border gates in Yunnan, southwest China, and creating favorable conditions for local exporters.

Also, the Vietnamese ministry suggested that China work with Vietnamese authorities to hold an annual meeting in November to beef up two-way trade activities.

Between May 29 and June 2, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent a working delegation led by Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam to China to promote cooperation and ramp up two-way trade.

Vietnam’s agro-fishery-forestry exports to China amounted to over US$4 billion in the first five months of 2023, accounting for 20 percent of the former’s total farm produce shipments.

Statistics from the Chinese customs agency showed that the country imported 1.26 million metric tons of fishery products worth $5.8 billion in the first four months of 2023, up 6 percent in volume and 10 percent in value year on year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam shipped $363.28 million worth of seafood to the Chinese market during the January-April period, a year on year decline of 32 percent.

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