Agricultural exports reduce warnings thanks to strict compliance with regulations
The conference was held to update regulations on food safety and animal and plant quarantine (SPS) in European market and provide guidance on implementing the requirements of EVFTA and UKVFTA. The event also created a forum for management agencies, businesses and cooperatives to exchange, discuss and resolve difficulties in the process of exporting agricultural products.
According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of Vietnam SPS Office, since August 1, 2020, Vietnam - European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has officially taken effect. After more than 5 years of implementation, agricultural trade between Vietnam and the EU has achieved many positive results, increasing added value and consolidating the position of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market. Many key industries such as coffee, pepper, seafood and vegetables have effectively taken advantage of opportunities from the agreement.
For UK market, after 4 years of implementing Vietnam - United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), Vietnam's agricultural and food exports to the UK have maintained an average growth rate of about 10% per year. This is a positive signal, showing great potential and clear effectiveness from the implementation of bilateral trade commitments.
Although agricultural exports to EU and UK have grown strongly within the framework of 17 free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed, in addition to advantages, there are still many challenges, especially related to food safety and disease control.
According to statistics from Vietnam SPS Office, each year Vietnam receives about 1,000 notifications from markets belonging to 166 WTO members. Of which, the EU and the UK are the two markets with the largest number of changes in regulations on food safety and quarantine.
For the EU market, regulations on maximum residue levels of pesticides and antibiotics change frequently. Some active ingredients are allowed to increase, while others are reduced. An important feature is that the EU specifies the maximum residue levels for each product and each industry.
“For example, the same type of fruit but different varieties have different residue levels for each active ingredient. This is a factor that businesses and management agencies need to pay special attention to when exporting to this market,” Mr. Nam emphasized.
In addition, the EU's border control regulations are also different from many other countries. Every 6 months, the EU will review imports from third countries. If businesses comply well with regulations on border control, food safety and packaging and labeling, the EU will adjust the frequency of inspections, increasing or decreasing depending on the level of compliance.
Vietnam is currently one of the countries with the fewest products subject to border control, thanks to the long-term efforts of management agencies and businesses. Currently, there are only four products on the inspection list: durian (20% inspection frequency), okra and bell peppers (50% with certificates), dragon fruit (30%). Compared to many other countries, reducing the number of controlled products to just four items is a remarkable achievement.
Notably, in the first 9 months of 2025, number of warnings from the EU for Vietnam's agricultural exports decreased by about 50% compared to the same period last year, reflecting the efforts of businesses to improve quality and comply with regulations. "This is a very encouraging result, affirming that Vietnamese agricultural products exported to the EU, a key market, have achieved high quality and have been strictly assessed," Mr. Nam emphasized.
However, businesses must not be subjective. According to data from the Vietnam SPS Office, even small shipments, such as 3 kg of dried chili, if not properly controlled for residues, can be warned by EU. This is an important reminder to strictly comply with regulations, even with small shipments, to ensure the reputation and quality of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market.
Update on regulations for agricultural exports to EU and UK
At the conference, experts updated food safety and animal and plant disease safety (SPS) measures in EVFTA and UKVFTA, and gave notes on notifications and draft new regulations. The content focused on exported aquatic products, standard operating procedures in packing houses and cold chains, as well as regulations on labeling and packaging of agricultural products in EU and UK.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, emphasized that Vietnam's participation in new generation FTAs opens up great opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products to penetrate markets with high requirements on quality, food safety, quarantine and traceability. However, besides the opportunities, there are many challenges, requiring agricultural sector to improve management capacity, innovate production technology, processing and quality control.
Lam Dong is currently a key agricultural sector, with key products including vegetables, flowers, coffee, fruits and high-tech livestock, exported to about 65 countries and territories, including Northeast Asia, the EU and North America. Strict compliance with SPS regulations is considered a key factor to ensure the quality, reputation and sustainable competitiveness of local agricultural products.
Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province is committed to continuing to closely coordinate with agencies, businesses and industry associations in training, technical support, building raw material areas and processing facilities that meet export standards, in order to enhance the position of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn