HA NOI (Biz Hub)— Viet Nam had kept its place on a list of countries permitted to export fresh honey to the EU, the European Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has reported.

It said that the EU had accepted the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)'s plan to manage honey exports.

The European Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development announced the decision on July 31.

MARD submitted its plan along with samples of chemical residue from honey products to the European Commission for consideration more than four months ago.

EC experts recently concluded that the plan met the EC's safety criteria.

The EU is known for having strict food safety standards.

MoIT said it hoped that the decision would help Vietnamese exporters consolidate and expand their market, and boost the reputation of Vietnamese honey throughout the world.

In recent years, Viet Nam has exported around 30,000 tonnes of honey, with prices hovering at around US$2,400 per tonne. — VNS