Agricultural products "golden opportunity" to enter the EU

vegetable exporters said that the export orders to the EU are on the rise. Many EU importers, who previously bought Thai agricultural products, turn to Vietnamese to July, exports to the EU in August increased by 16.6% and September by 20.3 After 2 months of EVFTA Agreement implementation, agricultural exports to the EU have seen positive changes. The big fruit and goods because of the advantages of import duties. At the same time, the price of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables in the EU is lower and consumption is good, so importers are also more excited ... According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, after 2 months of the EVFTA Agreement implementation, agricultural exports to the EU have seen positive changes. The total value of agricultural exports in August and September is estimated at 711 million USD. Compared However, Mr. Minh also warned that in order to make good use of this opportunity, agricultural enterprises, cooperatives and farms must actively improve their production capacity, build product %

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) said that in the past, Vietnamese fresh fruits and vegetables were exported to the EU mainly by air, with very high fees, then used that as a basis for calculate the import tax as the price team. Therefore, the tax rate of 0% with the EVFTA Agreement has created a huge advantage for Vietnamese vegetables and fruits."The EU is not limited to products in the fruit and vegetable industry and the volume of imports. Meanwhile, many main markets of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables require opening negotiations for each item, while exports still require heat treatment. Steam is very expensive Moreover, tropical fruits and vegetables from Vietnam do not have to directly compete with EU products, mainly temperate fruits, so the potential is huge. Successful application of a preservation technology that can keep vegetables and fruits fresh for more than 40 days for transport by sea ship, the cost will be lower and the price is cheaper. competitors such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia ... currently do not have an FTA with the EU ", Mr. Nguyen analyzed.Mr. Le Duy Minh, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers Association and Agricultural Enterprises, also affirmed that EVFTA will be a golden opportunity, creating a great boost for Vietnam's agricultural - forestry - fishery exports, especially products. has strengths such as seafood, vegetables, rice, coffee, pepper, wooden products ...

.brands, to meet daily requirements. the higher this fastidious market. Not only the fruit and vegetable industry, the comprehensive assessment of Vietnam's exports when taking advantage of opportunities from EVFTA, Mr. Vo Tan Thanh, Vice President of VCCI said that EVFTA has a high level of commitment, balancing benefits. of both sides in the context of different economic development levels (GDP / EU is 32,000 USD while Vietnam is 2,800 USD). The effect of EVFTA has contributed to boosting Vietnam's exports to the EU. According to Thanh, after the EVFTA took effect, exports to the EU in August and September increased by 4.2% over the same period in 2019; September alone increased by more than 14%. In addition to increasing export turnover, EVFTA also contributes to attracting investment from the EU to Vietnam, promoting institutional reforms to comply with commitments.

However, there are great opportunities but also many challenges. In addition to meeting the requirements of food quality, food safety, and price competition, there are new issues that businesses must pay attention to. That product must be environmentally friendly, businesses must perform well social responsibility, labor issues, gender equality ... However, economic experts also recognized that, with the market requiring strict quality and food safety like the EU, it is very important to ensure the supply. Currently, cultivation in Vietnam is still fragmented, the number of farms with GlobalGAP certification, the standard to export to the EU only accounts for 3% -4%, so businesses have difficulty in purchasing products. Therefore, it is very important to propagate and gather farmers to associate with enterprises to build growing areas to meet the EU market requirements in terms of quantity and quality.Another challenge for the agricultural sector when participating in EVFTA is meeting rules of origin to ensure preferential benefits. Some of Vietnam's current commodity sectors are at risk of having difficulty meeting these regulations. For seafood, the EU is still applying a "yellow card" warning against illegal, unmanaged and unreported fishing for Vietnam's exported seafood to the EU. Currently, the EU still strengthens its control over 100% of seafood shipments and increases the frequency of inspection of other agricultural products exported to the EU.