HCMC – Vietnamese pomelos and limes can now be formally exported to China following the signing of new phytosanitary protocols between the two countries, expanding market access for the two types of fruit.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced the protocols at a conference held in HCMC on May 14, reported the Government news website (baochinhphu.vn). The event focused on introducing technical requirements for exports, including guidance on planting area registration, packing facility standards, pest control measures, and record-keeping rules required by Chinese authorities.
Under the protocols, all growing areas and packing facilities exporting pomelos and limes to China must register with the ministry through the Plant Production and Protection Department and receive approval from China’s General Administration of Customs before shipments begin.
Export orchards must apply good agricultural practices standards or equivalent measures. They are also required to implement pest management programs and monitor pests identified by Chinese authorities.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung described the protocols as the result of years of technical negotiations between the two countries.
He said the agreement marked a step toward expanding formal export channels for Vietnamese fruit and reflected efforts by regulators, businesses, and farmers to meet import market standards.
According to the Plant Production and Protection Department, Vietnam has around 106,000 hectares under pomelo cultivation with annual output exceeding one million tons. Varieties such as green-skin and Nam Roi pomelos are already present in international markets.
The country also has more than 44,000 hectares under lime cultivation, producing nearly 700,000 tons a year, mainly in the Mekong Delta and southeastern regions.
The ministry said that maintaining access to the Chinese market will require strict compliance with production standards, pest monitoring, record keeping, and traceability requirements.
China is one of the world’s largest fruit import markets. Vietnamese pomelos have advantages such as year-round harvesting and long storage periods, supporting transport by road and sea, the ministry added.
