HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's export durian industry faces difficulties in entering the Chinese market due to new inspection regulations for durian exports.

China has tightened inspection of Basic Yellow 2 (BY2) residues in durian batches exported from other countries to this market, including Việt Nam, with 90 per cent of its durians exported to China.

The inspection regulation was issued after the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) reported the detection of Basic Yellow 2 (BY2), a substance classified by the WHO as a Group 2B carcinogen, in Thai durian exports.

That move left Việt Nam's export durian batches being returned or waiting for customs clearance for lengthy periods at the border gates.

One Vietnamese exporter said that 170 tonnes of its produce did not clear customs at border gates because of the China inspection of BY2, believed to be used to enhance the yellow colour of durian fruit.

According to the durian export company's representative, this is the first time its fruit has been returned due to a lack of a inspection certification for BY2.

At Hữu Nghị International Border Gate, the number of durian trucks clearing customs each day has decreased sharply, from 70-80 trucks in 2024, to only 20-30 trucks in recent days. 

Deputy Director of Hữu Nghị Customs Branch, Phùng Văn Ba, said that the slow customs clearance speed was mainly due to China tightening inspections of BY2 and only allowing customs clearance for shipments meeting the new regulations.

Việt Nam's Plant Protection Department has asked localities to strengthen supervision of growing areas and packaging facilities. 

Chemical residue and heavy metal testing and traceability have been tightened to ensure that exported fruits meet international standards. Violated growing area codes and packaging facilities will be suspended if they do not meet the criteria.

The General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), Đặng Phúc Nguyên, said Việt Nam's durian export activities are being disrupted because China inspects all export shipments and they are now taking a week to clear customs.

China has determined that BY2 can contaminate the fruit flesh, so inspections must also examine beneath the peel. China's authorities have also warned against using returned durian for frozen processing because it is likely to encounter similar inspections as fresh durian.

The association also recommend that businesses must not sell returned durian to consumers or move it into processing before the results of the BY2 residue test are available. 

If there is no residue, the durians can be sold or processed, but if fruit has substance residues, the durians must be destroyed to protect both consumers and the reputation of Việt Nam's durian.

Thailand's authorities have almost completed the BY2 substance testing process to certify the safety of Thai durian. So, the durian shipments can be exported again next week to take advantage of the consumption demand during the Lunar New Year.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam's relevant offices have not yet had support for local businesses to check for residue.

Nguyên has suggested that it is necessary to quickly establish many testing rooms to issue certificates for crops without BY2 residue.

Vũ Kim Hạnh, chairwoman of the Business Association of High Quality Vietnamese Products, said that because Thailand does not lower durian prices or give gifts to durian buyers, they compete with Vietnamese on standards alone.

In addition to competing in export volume and value, the battle of durian brands is also taking place in China market. 

This market has Thailand's Monthong durian, and Malaysia's Musang King and Black Thorn, while Việt Nam still does not have a national brand for its product.

Durian is a key export product of Việt Nam, reaching a record turnover of about US$3.3 billion in 2024, an increase of more than $1 billion compared to 2023. 

Every year, China imports fresh durian worth $7 billion and this figure is expected to exceed $10 billion in the next few years. 

In addition, China also spends $1 billion on frozen durian, a figure which is expected to increase rapidly. — VNS