Vietnamese businesses face multiple challenges within the process of exporting agricultural goods to China such as competition by Chinese or other international companies or issues with standards and quality regulations. Especially small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) exporters from Vietnam have to overcome many hurdles when obtaining official licenses, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) certificates and further documents for exporting their commodities. Additionally, awareness of processes beyond the border are limited which negatively impacts the profitability of Vietnamese producers and fosters unofficial trade channels. Often, Vietnamese exporters lack knowledge of where and how to access up-to-date information on export processes or get support to access the vast potentials of the Chinese market.
To address this challenge GIZ SRECA jointly with VIETRADE from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) as well as partners and stakeholders on site, revised their four export guidelines (1. watermelon, 2. longan, 3. lychee and 4. dragon fruit). Additionally, five new guidelines were compiled on 5. Mango, 6. Banana, 7. Jackfruit, 8. Rambutan and 9. Mangosteen to elaborate step-by-step guidance on how to export fresh fruits from Vietnam to China. The guides include the latest regulations and export standards in Vietnam and requirements from relevant Chinese government institutions and agencies. The export guidelines were finalised in the end of 2020 and are utilised in trainings and workshops.
To allow further knowledge sharing and to improve a wide-scale awareness on fruit and agricultural export procedures to China for Vietnamese SMEs, GIZ SRECA together with VIETRADE created e-learning content out of the export guidelines. They will serve as additional training material for e-learning activities of VIETRADE and its trade promotion organisations (TPOs). It is a cost-effective method in the long run, to help educate local SMEs and cooperatives, especially in the context of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The courses are in Vietnamese and can be accessed at the VIETRADE e-learning platform.