Nearly 3,000 Vietnamese firms receive codes to export agricultural products to China

SPS Vietnam holds a meeting to review its performance in 2023 and launch its plan for 2024 on January 9. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Nearly 3,000 Vietnamese firms have received codes granted by China, enabling them to export farm produce and food products to the Chinese market.

According to the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in the last two years, Vietnamese firms have received 3,013 codes in line with the regulations on farming region supervision and origin tracking of farm produce under Orders 248 and 249 of China.

Speaking at a meeting to review the performance of SPS Vietnam in 2023 and launch its plan for 2024, Deputy Director of SPS Vietnam Ngô Xuân Nam said Vietnamese firms are now paying more attention to registering to export to the Chinese market. 

Lê Thanh Hòa, director of the SPS Vietnam, said that in 2024, relevant authorities will continue to update draft notices on food safety measures and animal and plant disease safety, and warnings from trade partners and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members and inform relevant units.

The office will also coordinate with units to respond to comments on Việt Nam’s draft notices of SPS measures notified to the WTO.

It will coordinate with units of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in continuing to negotiate the SPS chapter of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and the Vietnam – United Arab Emirates FTA, and to upgrade the ASEAN – China FTA, the ASEAN – Canada FTA, and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.

In 2023, the office received and handled 1,164 notices on SPS-related regulation drafts and changes proposed by WTO members.

It said the higher number of notices shows that the world market is paying more attention to quality, hygiene, and food safety, and demanding more on these issues as well as factors related to green growth. — VNS