HCMC – Those Vietnamese businesses exporting plant-based food products to China will be required to register under Order 280 issued by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), which is expected to take effect on June 1, 2026.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on March 13 held a conference in Hanoi to brief industry associations, exporters and regulators on the registration requirements for exporters of plant-origin food products under the new order.
Nguyen Quy Duong, deputy director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the ministry, said Vietnamese exporters had previously registered under Order 248 of the GACC with a five-year validity period. Many firms have completed the first cycle and are entering the renewal stage.
However, China issued Order 280 in late 2025 with stricter requirements and an expanded scope of management, he said.
According to information presented at the conference, 2,589 product groups classified under China’s special regulatory list must be registered through a competent authority before export.
With Order 280 expected to take effect on June 1, 2026, exporters have around two and a half months to complete the necessary procedures.
At the conference, some businesses raised concerns about administrative address changes following Vietnam’s adjustment of administrative boundaries. Representatives of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection said an official letter had been sent to the GACC requesting facilitation for Vietnamese exporters during the transition period.
The department also noted several common reasons for rejected applications, including incomplete food safety management systems based on hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), incorrect declarations of import-export commodity codes or China’s inspection and quarantine codes, and missing information in applications submitted through the GACC’s imported food enterprise registration system.
Exporters were advised to review their documents carefully before submission to avoid repeated revisions.
