According to a summary by Vietnam SPS Office, from July 1 to 15, 2026, members of World Trade Organization (WTO) published 51 SPS notifications, including 24 draft notifications for comments and 27 effective notifications. Among these, European Union (EU) published 8 notifications related to maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides, plant quarantine, feed additives and products created using certain new genetic techniques.
Notably, EU market is expected to lower many diazinon residue levels to quantitative limits for products such as almonds, cranberries, pineapples, radishes, onions, bell peppers, sweet corn, cabbage, kohlrabi, turmeric, and some animal-derived products. Regulations are expected to take effect six months after the effective date.
EU also issued regulations exempting certain low-risk, preservative-stabilized mixed products such as potato chips, processed fruits and vegetables, sauces, spices and confectionery from official border control inspections; and new regulations for plants created using certain new genetic engineering techniques, effective from July 17, 2028.
In the United States, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting requests to deregister or terminate certain uses of pesticides, including captan-containing products for household and garden use, as well as oxytetracycline hydrochloride for citrus fruits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also considering allowing use of ionizing radiation at doses not exceeding 30 kGy to reduce pathogens in untreated fortified wheat flour.
South Korea has issued a draft amendment to its food standards, adding and adjusting the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 106 pesticide active ingredients; it has also added requirements for raw materials and processed foods from cell cultures. Vietnam has also updated its list of host plants and insect vectors for the transmission of Xylella fastidiosa, applicable to shipments with phytosanitary certificates sent from July 13, 2026.
China has announced a draft amendment to its inspection and quarantine measures for imported and exported animals and animal genetic material, clarifying requirements for risk assessment, quarantine approval, registration of foreign facilities and quarantine periods for each animal group.
Meanwhile, Japan has amended its Livestock Infectious Disease Prevention Act, adding Lumpy Skin Disease to list of infectious diseases and strengthening inspections of illegally imported goods.
In addition to markets mentioned above, Canada has also published five notices related to animal feed, circulation of red meat between provinces, and maximum pesticide residue levels for various agricultural products and animal-derived products.
Vietnam SPS Office recommends that exporting businesses proactively monitor and promptly update new SPS notices, especially those concerning pesticide residues, traceability, plant quarantine and food standards of major markets such as the EU, the United States, South Korea, China and Japan. Early awareness of these changes will help businesses adjust their production processes, quality control, and export documentation accordingly, thereby minimizing risk of warnings, product returns or disruptions to export operations in the future.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn