HCMC – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China inked a protocol on requirements to export fresh bananas from Vietnam to the northern neighboring market on November 1.

Fresh bananas exported to China will be picked between 10 and 16 weeks after blossoming begins.

Vietnamese producers and exporters must comply with Chinese regulations on phytosanitary, food safety and traceability. The protocol will be valid for five years.

Local producers’ and exporters’ trading activities must be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and General Administration of Customs.

Two percent of the export shipments of bananas will be collected for testing, which will be reduced to one percent after two years of the protocol being in force, assuming all quality standards are met.

Vietnam currently exports 11 types of fruit to China via official channels, namely banana, mango, litchi, longan, watermelon, dragon fruit, jackfruit, rambutan, mangosteen, passionfruit and durian, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Still, the authorities signed phytosanitary protocols with the Chinese side on four fruits — mangosteen, passionfruit, durians and banana.

In 2021, bananas were Vietnam’s third-largest export earner after dragon fruit and mango, the local media reported.

China was Vietnam’s top vegetable and fruit importer during the period, accounting for 43.3% of the country’s total revenue from vegetable and fruit exports.