First Vietnamese business approved for swiftlet nest exports to China

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien announced on November 10 that the General Administration of Customs of China has officially approved the export of swiftlet nests from a Vietnamese business to China.

Accordingly, the General Administration of Customs of China issued an official document dated November 3 approving the export of two registered products from Avanest Vietnam Nutrition Company Limited (Tax code: 0901101740), starting from October 20, 2023. The products include clean swiftlet nests and bottled pre-processed swiftlet nests.

Subsequently, the Vietnamese Embassy in China issued Circular No. TCOCD/1843 dated November 7 to the Department of Animal Health, forwarding the official document from the General Administration of Customs of China regarding the decision.

According to statistics compiled by the Department of Animal Health, 45 Vietnamese businesses have registered to export swiftlet nests to China. They have received guidance from the Department of Animal Health regarding the disease and food safety monitoring as required by the China's Official Decree. Notably, 9 of the aforementioned businesses have completed the registration process and submitted their dossiers to the General Administration of Customs of China for review.

Subsequently, the General Administration of Customs of China has conducted online inspections for 5 out of the 9 businesses. The agency is currently in the process of reviewing and evaluating the remaining 4 dossiers, with the result announcement pending.

According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, the achievement is the result of the meticulous guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Animal Health following the Official Decree on the inspection, quarantine and hygiene requirements for Vietnamese swiftlet nest exports to China. The Decree was signed between the General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam on November 9, 2022.

Immediately after the signing of the Decree, the Department of Animal Health proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to issue Official Letter No. 8107/BNN-TY on December 1, 2022, sent to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities on organizing the deployment. At the same time, a national conference was organized to thoroughly understand and guide the implementation of the contents of the Decree.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development established working delegations led by leaders of the Ministry, the Department of Animal Health, and related units to guide the implementation in provinces and cities nationwide.

The Department of Animal Health formed several task forces to provide guidance and assistance directly to local populations and businesses. Additionally, they inspect the local implementation of the Decree. The task forces also assisted Vietnamese businesses in preparing documents, opening accounts for export registration on the CIFER system, standardizing production processes in compliance with the requirements of the Decree, guiding and supporting businesses in preparation for the online evaluation organized by the General Administration of Customs of China, announcing final results, and guiding corrective actions after online assessment.

The Department of Animal Health also negotiated and agreed on the content and template of the Export Inspection Certificate for swiftlet nest exports to China. Additionally, the Department announced its seal sample and officials' signature samples.

The Department coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in China to discuss with the General Administration of Customs of China regarding an account for managing and authenticating Vietnamese businesses registered for export on China's single-window customs system CIFER. In addition, detailed instructions on the 7-step registration process and the organization of disease and food safety monitoring were issued in accordance with the provisions of the Decree.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are 42 out of 63 provinces nationwide currently involved in swiftlet farming. The number of swiftlet houses in the country has increased significantly over the last few years. Provinces with the fastest-growing number of swiftlet houses include Kien Giang, Khanh Hoa, and Lam Dong. Notably, Kien Giang province contains the largest number of swiftlet houses at 2,995 houses, followed by Binh Dinh at 1,722 houses.

Economic regions with all of its provinces involved in swiftlet farming include the Mekong Delta (13 provinces), the Southeast (6 provinces), the South Central Coast (8 provinces), and Central Highlands (5 provinces). Notably, the Mekong Delta contains the largest number of swiftlet houses at 10,572 houses, accounting for 44.67% of the total number of swiftlet houses in the region; followed by the South Central Coast with 5,965 houses, accounting for 25.21%.