HCMC – As counterfeiters were faking the origin traceability codes of Cao Lanh mangoes grown in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, China has decided to suspend imports of the fruit from Vietnam, confirmed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to the ministry’s Plant Protection Department, the Chinese side announced that 220 batches of mangoes, equal to 3,300 tons of 750,000 tons set to be shipped to China in 2019 and 2020, had violated regulations on plant quarantine.
The neighboring nation requested a suspension of mango imports from the relevant cultivating areas and packaging facilities to team up with Vietnam to investigate the cause behind the counterfeit issue, suggest remedial measures and enhance the management capacity over export activities.
The department said that two of 82 mango growing regions and one of 12 packaging facilities in Dong Thap were named among the violation list. However, the moment that China discovered the counterfeit violation, the mango season in Dong Thap had ended.
On being notified of the case, the department urged border quarantine units and the relevant localities to comply with the General Department of Customs’ requirements, find out the main cause of the issue and undetake remedial measures.
As reported by Dong Thap Province, several mango exporters were using incorrect origin codes or using the codes of others to ship the fruit, affecting the prestige of local exported mangoes as well as that of the right owners of the codes for upcoming shipments.
Nguyen Quang Hieu, head of the department’s International Cooperation and Communications, said the suspension has yet to impact the country’s mango exports since the season for the fruit in the south has ended. However, to avoid similar violations, the department will accelerate its supervision over granted origin codes for not only mangoes but other farm products as well.
