Vietnamese agricultural products are facing many opportunities to enter China through official channels. However, the billion-people market poses many challenges for export businesses.
Open the door to official exports
China has long been one of Vietnam’s leading trading partners, especially in the field of agricultural exports. To date, Vietnamese agricultural products have increasingly appeared on the shelves of the Chinese market, with key products such as rice, coffee, seafood, vegetables and fruits…
According to the latest data from the General Department of Customs (Ministry of Finance), in the first 5 months of 2025, Vietnam’s agricultural export turnover to China reached 4.1 billion USD, an increase of about 12% over the same period in 2024. This is a positive signal, showing that the demand for Vietnamese agricultural products in the Chinese market is still very strong, especially for items such as fruits, seafood and rice.
According to economic experts, with a population of more than 1.4 billion people and a huge demand for food, China continues to be a strategic market for Vietnam’s agricultural sector. However, according to trade and agriculture expert Nguyen Minh Huan, in the context of the Chinese market’s increasingly strict requirements for the quality of agricultural products, official export has become an important strategic route for Vietnamese agricultural products. This is also an opportunity to build prestige for the Vietnamese agricultural product brand and increase product value when agricultural products when officially exported must undergo a strict quality control process, from the production stage to when entering the consumer market.
In fact, in recent times, Vietnam has focused on promoting official exports to China. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced that it had just signed protocols on official exports of chili, passion fruit, bird’s nest and rice bran to China. Previously, in 2024, our country officially exported three products: frozen durian, fresh coconut and farmed crocodile.
As a long-time trader of Ben Tre coconuts, Ms. Huynh Thi An – Deputy Director of Minh An Import-Export Trading Company said: “For more than ten years, the company has specialized in providing processed coconut products, mainly for the domestic market and for export to China. In particular, the opening of the Chinese market to fresh Vietnamese coconuts in 2024 is a golden opportunity for Vietnamese coconuts to dominate the billion-people market. Therefore, the strategy that the company is aiming for is to build high-quality products, ensuring that the products fully meet the standards of quality, food safety and good branding for official export to China”.
In addition, Ms. An also said that the company has invested in building a clear and modern brand identity system and packaging and labels, with full information on origin, quality and instructions for use – an important factor that cannot be missed when exporting official agricultural products to China. In addition, there is also clear information in both Chinese and English, along with barcodes and QR codes so that consumers can check the origin and quality of the products.Mr. Tran Van Duc – Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ben Tre Coconut Investment Joint Stock Company said that China is a very potential market because it uses up to 2.6 billion fresh coconuts and 1.5 billion coconuts for processing each year. With the advantage of geographical distance, short transportation time and low cost, the product will be competitive with other countries.
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Overcoming challenges
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Huan, although official exports open up many opportunities, facing strict requirements from China also poses many challenges for Vietnamese enterprises. Because China is a very large consumer market, but also requires agricultural products to meet strict standards on quality, growing area codes, food safety and certificates of origin. Failure to meet these standards can lead to temporary suspension of imports or rejection of goods, directly affecting the revenue and reputation of the product.
Not to mention, in this billion-people market, Vietnamese agricultural products have to compete with many other countries such as Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines – strong competitors with long-term experience in official exports to China. These competitors not only have good product quality but also have a wide distribution network and strong brands in this market.
Sharing more about this issue, Ms. An said: “To meet the conditions for exporting fresh coconuts, we have cooperated with international inspection and certification organizations to check products according to international standards. At the same time, the company has also registered coconut growing area codes with the authorities to help ensure that coconut products have a clear, clean and safe origin. In particular, the company is currently looking for and coordinating with logistics partners to transport coconuts safely and on schedule to China and is implementing plans to open distribution channels in high-demand markets such as big cities, supermarket chains…”
Total export turnover of coconut products, including coconut water, coconut oil and other preparations in 2024 will reach nearly 1.1 billion USD, an increase of more than 20% compared to 2023.
It can be seen that the transition from informal to formal exports is an important strategic step, not only helping Vietnamese agricultural products to reach further in the Chinese market but also expanding export opportunities to the world. According to Mr. Huan, if there is careful preparation and synchronous solutions, Vietnamese agricultural products will have the opportunity to assert themselves and build a stronger position in the Chinese market in the coming time. To support agricultural enterprises to promote formal exports to China, there needs to be a synchronous strategy from both the Government, management agencies and enterprises. The Government needs to continue reforming administrative procedures, especially the process of granting growing area codes, export licenses and plant quarantine, helping enterprises save time and costs in the export process. Authorities need to build quick communication channels between the Government and enterprises to resolve issues arising in the export process, from quarantine requirements to trade disputes.
In addition, the Government needs to support agricultural enterprises in applying modern technology to production, processing and preservation processes to improve product quality. Technologies such as smart agriculture, post-harvest technology and food processing need to be invested heavily. Enterprises also need support in obtaining international certifications such as ISO, GlobalGAP, HACCP, which help increase the prestige and reliability of products in the eyes of Chinese partners.
In addition, training and capacity building for export enterprises should be promoted. The government and ministries should organize food safety training programs for farmers and enterprises, helping to ensure that products meet not only Chinese standards but also those of other international markets.
At the same time, the Government needs to support businesses in finding and cooperating with reputable distribution partners in China such as supermarkets, food chains, etc.; Provide businesses with reports on consumption trends in China, helping them better understand the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers, thereby adjusting products accordingly.
For businesses, to be successful, they need to continue to improve product quality, meet increasingly stringent market requirements; proactively grasp information about new regulations of the Chinese market, improve production processes and invest in technology to improve product quality…/.