Record-breaking $8.7 billion in Vietnam-China agricultural trade following 5 new protocols.

nongsanhoangminh
Dec 1
2 min read

By the end of October 2025, China imported $8.7 billion in agricultural products from Vietnam. The signing of 5 key protocols (including durian, jackfruit, bird's nest, etc.) has significantly widened access for Vietnamese produce to this billion-consumer market.

1. Record-Breaking Vietnam-China Agricultural Trade

Agricultural trade between Vietnam and China is witnessing remarkable growth. According to information from a meeting between Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) on November 27, China's agricultural imports from Vietnam reached $8.7 billion in just the first 10 months of 2025.

Key Highlight: The figure for the first 10 months of 2025 has already surpassed the total turnover for the entire year of 2024, reaffirming Vietnam's position as a leading strategic agricultural supplier.

2. The "Key" from 5 Crucial Protocols

The main driver for this breakthrough was the successful signing of 5 new protocols between the two countries in 2025. This legal milestone has facilitated a strong shift of Vietnamese agricultural products from informal border trade (tiểu ngạch) to official quota channels (chính ngạch).

The products directly benefiting from this include:

Fresh Fruits: Jackfruit, Passion fruit.
Foods: Raw bird's nest (Salanganes' nest), Chili (pepper).
By-products: Rice bran.

The market opening for high-value products such as raw bird's nest and frozen durian (previously established) indicates that the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) highly values Vietnam’s quality and food safety control procedures.

3. Elevating Quality: Transitioning from 'Quantity' to 'Quality'

To maintain a stable foothold in the world's largest agricultural consuming market, Vietnamese enterprises are fundamentally changing their production mindset.

Standardizing Procedures: There are currently 16 types of fruits and vegetables exported via official channels, 11 of which already have established Protocols (including Durian, Watermelon, Mangosteen, etc.).
Traceability Investment: Investing in technology to ensure information transparency from the growing region to the consumer's table (farm-to-table traceability).
Supply Chain Linkage: Direct investment models and collaborations between Chinese enterprises and Vietnamese farmers (such as the case of Trần Thị Fruit and Vegetable Trading Company) are being encouraged. This ensures stable output and compliance with GACC standards right from the cultivation stage.

4. Future Outlook and 2025 Targets

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Trần Đức Thắng, emphasized that the advantage of the shared border and seasonal complementarity between the two countries forms a solid foundation for bilateral trade.

Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable sector is currently aiming for an export target of $8.5 billion USD for this commodity group alone in 2025. Given the current growth momentum and the close cooperation between the regulatory agencies of both nations, Vietnamese agricultural products are fully capable of setting new records, bringing higher incomes to farmers.

Source: Công Luận Newspaper