Workshop discusses competitiveness of Viet Nam’s farm produce in China
Workshop discusses competitiveness of Viet Nam’s farm produce in China
Ha Noi, Sep 15, 2006 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) — Viet Nam’s farm produce are facing challenges in the Chinese market as a result of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (AC-FTA), in particular stronger competition from the products of other ASEAN countries.
This observation was made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Planning Department at a workshop in Ha Noi on Sept. 15, which discussed the impact of AC-FTA’s on Vietnamese farm produce.
Viet Nam must now compete with Thailand in rice, the Philippines in vegetable and fruits, and Indonesia and Malaysia in rubber, said participants at the workshop.
According to a framework agreement on ASEAN-China comprehensive economic cooperation, Viet Nam will open its doors to Chinese commodities and impose a zero percent tax rates in 10 years from 2005 and China will abolish duties on Vietnamese commodities in five years till 2010.
Viet Nam’s export turnover of farm produce (mainly fruits and vegetable) to China fell to 35 million USD in 2005 from 142.8 million USD in 200. Meanwhile, its turnover of fruits and vegetable imports from China jumped to 80.2 million USD in 2005 from 30.9 million USD in 2001.
