The first batches of fresh coconuts from Việt Nam have arrived in China via land border gates between the two countries.

On October 15, a refrigerated truck carrying 2,700 fresh coconuts of Việt Nam cleared customs at the Hekou border gate of China’s Yunnan province, which is adjacent to the Lào Cai border gate of Việt Nam’s Lào Cai province.

The produce, totalling 21.6 tonnes and 110,000 Chinese yuan (about US$15,000), hailed from the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre.

The same day, another batch was delivered to the neighbouring market via the Youyi Guan border gate of Pingxiang city, China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Also coming from Bến Tre, it weighed 22.4 tonnes and was worth 98,000 yuan.

Việt Nam’s fresh coconuts were licensed to be exported via the official channel to China in August.

During the first nine months of 2024, the Hekou customs unit handled the import of 734,000 tonnes of Vietnamese fruits worth 8.11 billion yuan, respectively rising 26.9 per cent and 143.5 per cent year on year, statistics show.

Meanwhile, since the Regional Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (RCEP) took effect on January 1, 2022, Việt Nam has seen four more fruits licensed to enter China via the Youyi Guan border gate, namely durian, banana, watermelon and coconut.

The successful export of Việt Nam’s fresh coconuts is the latest evidence of efforts to promote the shipment of high-quality farm produce to China and further intensify bilateral trade ties, helping carry out the joint statement on the two countries’ relations. — VNS