It noted that the expansion of this list creates favourable conditions to boost Vietnamese durian exports to the Chinese market.

Import and export activities between Vietnam and China were moderate in the first two months of the year, with a value exceeding 31 billion USD. Since the beginning of the year, China has tightened imports of certain items from Vietnam, including durian fruit.

In the first 9 months of this year, the total trade value between Vietnam and China reached 149.2 billion, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

From September 1, the Bac Luan II border gate will be opened daily from 7am to 8pm (Vietnam time), including holidays and weekends (excluding New Year holidays), for a three-month trial.

A networking conference was held in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau on April 24, in a bid to connect 54 local enterprises, mostly operating in the seafood sector, to their Chinese peers.

There remained big challenges in Vietnam's exports to China, as the market has been and will continue to impose higher requirements on both export and import standards, said Tran Quang Huy, Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Asia-Africa Market Department.

A conference reviewing cooperation between Vietnamese ministries, localities and Guangdong province of China was held in virtual form on June 29 under the chair of Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu and Guangdong’s Vice Governor Wang Xi.

Though Vietnam suffered a brief setback in 2021 because of the highly-infectious Delta variant of COVID-19, its economy has begun to recover since the end of last year with exports achieving outstanding performance, Hong Kong (China)-based news outlet HK01 reported.

Vietnam stands ready to bolster bilateral trade with China towards stable, balanced and sustainable development for the benefits of both sides, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang told a routine press conference on April 21.

A meeting held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on March 9 pointed out the urgent need to shift from unofficial and small-scale shipment to export through official channels to China.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce have signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a Working Group on Vietnam-China Trade Facilitation and the bilateral cooperation plan in the 2021-2025 period.

The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), an initiative of China that win support of ASEAN countries, has become an important multilateral cooperative event, contributing to promoting the ASEAN-China free trade area, a Vietnamese official said.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien has asked for concerted efforts by Vietnamese authorities and Chinese diplomats to remove barriers to Vietnam’s agricultural exports to China during a virtual meeting.

Vietnam and China has signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture and fruit sale, expected to facilitate farm produce trading amid difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

If Vietnam and China can further optimise their neighbourliness as well as the huge trade potential under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), bilateral trade will reach a new height, an official said at an online business matching event on December 17.

Twenty-one exporters of Vietnam and nearly 20 importers from China’s Shanghai city gathered at an online business matching event on September 24 to seek to promote bilateral fruit trading which is believed to hold much room to grow.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosted a reception in Hanoi on June 12 for leaders of Chinese businesses which are investing in the fields of garment and textile, high-quality fibre, engine components and automobile tyres in Vietnam.

Vietnam and China are going to hold several teleconferences in the next few days to promote the trade of agricultural products and specialties.

China remains the largest buyer of Vietnam’s agricultural products, so Vietnamese businesses are making preparations to boost exports to this market when it recovers after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fisheries sector of Vietnam is facing an array of difficulties as the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to contracted exports.