Vietnamese and Japanese experts check the testing results of lychee in Viet Nam. — Photo MARD

Japan has officially opened its doors to the import of Vietnamese lychee.

In a letter sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that the import of Vietnamese lychee came into effect on December 12.

According to Hoang Trung, the department’s director general, this is result of more than five years of negotiations between his department and MAFF, along with many strict tests to ensure quarantine quality, meeting Japanese standards.

Trung said that the department will continue to coordinate with businesses to seek import partners to export the first fresh lychee batches to Japan early next year.

Vietnamese lychees have been exported to countries including China, UK and Australia. — VNS