AsemconnectVietnam - In the first five months of 2023, despite being affected by the global economic slowdown, Vietnam-China trade still reached an average of more than 10 billion USD/month.

Specifically, by the end of May, the total import-export turnover between the two countries reached 61.51 billion USD (average of more than 12.3 billion USD/month), accounting for 23.58% of the total import-export turnover of the whole country.
In which, the country’s exports of goods to China reached 20.32 billion USD, down by 6.7% over the same period last year, accounting for 15% of the total export turnover of the country; while the imports reached 41.19 billion USD, down by 17.5% over the same period last year, accounting for 32.8% of the total import turnover of the country.
Notably, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China are increasingly thriving, especially after China opened the official import door for durian products. The statistics figures of the General Department of Customs showed that the country’s durian exports increased sharply in May, thereby bringing the total export turnover of this item in the first 5 months of the year to more than half a billion USD.
In particular, durian exports to China alone reached a turnover of 477 million USD, accounting for 95% of the total export turnover of this commodity group of the country.
Generally, in the first 5 months of the year, the exports of vegetables and fruits to the Chinese market earned 1.286 billion USD, up by 80.2% over the same period last year, equivalent to an increase in turnover of 572.3 million USD. The Chinese market accounted for 63.47% of the country's fruit and vegetable export turnover in the first five months of the year.
Another agricultural product, rice, also recorded impressive growth in the Chinese market. In the first 5 months of the year, rice exports to China reached 632,469 tonnes, with a total turnover of more than 364 million USD, up by nearly 63% in volume and up by nearly 79.2% in turnover over the same period last year. With the growth rate of turnover higher than volume, it is possible that the average export value of rice to the Chinese market will also increase significantly.
However, besides the above-mentioned items, the exports of goods in general to China has not recovered as expected after China opened its border on January 8, 2023 due to general difficulties in the economic situation.
In the coming time, in order for export activities to the Chinese market to recover and develop sustainably, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that enterprises, especially enterprises producing and exporting agricultural products and foodstuffs, need to pay attention to research and urgently complete registration procedures before exporting agricultural products and food to the Chinese market.
The enterprises also need to coordinate with Chinese partners to diversify export routes of goods through border gates, avoid focusing on certain border gates or taking advantage of Vietnam's sea transport and intermodal rail transport to minimize the risk of causing congestion at the border gates during the peak season.
They should also carefully study information, signals and regulations and standards of the market, fully comply with the conditions of business registration, quality standards, testing and quarantine, packaging, and traceability.
Increasing attendance at international fairs and exhibitions jointly organized by localities and central agencies of the two countries in order to strengthen direct connection after the prolonged restriction of the epidemic will also be paid attention to.
In the near future, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will also organize many large-scale trade promotion activities in the Chinese market, in which, the Asia-Africa Market Department will have some activities aimed at the traditional market of Guangxi) and new markets located deep within China (Shandong, Hebei). This is an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to expand the markets.
CK
Source: VITIC/congthuong.vn