A virtual consultation session on the export of agricultural and aquatic products to the Netherlands market was jointly held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Vietnam Trade Office in the Netherlands on August 9, with the participation of representatives from Vietnamese agencies and enterprises.

Deputy Director of the Export Promotion Centre under the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy said that, according to a survey of participating enterprises, six main groups of issues are attracting strong attention from enterprises.

These include requirements on quality standards of the Netherlands market for a number of fresh and dried agricultural products, spices, beverages, and seafood; packaging and packing specifications for fresh, frozen and dried agricultural products imported into the Netherlands; a set of export documents and customs clearance procedures for agricultural and aquatic products; trade barriers; rules of origin for agricultural and aquatic products under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA); and the potential and market size in the Netherlands for some agricultural products of Vietnam.

At the session, Vietnam Trade Counsellor in the Netherlands Vo Thi Ngoc Diep and Director LTP Import-Export Company (based in the Netherlands) Pham Ngoc Hien answered a number of questions related to the six aforementioned issues.

Diep emphasised that the Netherlands is an open market, without any priorities or restrictions on agricultural and aquatic products from any country. They are willing to import products that meet the standards of Europe in general, the Netherlands market in particular, and the tastes of domestic consumers.

She noted that many Vietnamese enterprises have taken advantage of the EVFTA to enjoy tax incentives when exporting agricultural products to the Netherlands.

Diep said that Vietnamese seafood products will have to compete with that from Bangladesh, India and Ecuador to be imported into the Netherlands, while fresh fruit will have to compete with that of South America.

According to Pham Van Hien, the Netherlands market has requirements on environmental criteria, so it will not import nylon packaged products. Therefore, enterprises need to use packaging made from environmentally friendly materials that can easily decompose.

In addition, Hien also noted that agricultural and aquatic products that wish to enter the EU market in general and the Netherlands in particular must ensure food safety and meet allowable limits for pesticide residues.

The event was an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to discuss with local market representatives about issues related to their business activities and to acquire more useful information for export plans to the Netherlands market.

Source: Nhan Dan Online

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