Importing DAP fertilizer from South Korea is still proceeding normally in accordance with regulations

Recently, there have been reports on certain media outlets that Vietnam has temporarily suspended the import of DAP fertilizer from the South Korean market due to concerns related to Cadmium content.

To clarify this matter, the newspaper "Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper" had a working session with the Plant Protection Department in order to provide accurate information to businesses and citizens, avoiding unnecessary public confusion and negative impacts on domestic agricultural production, especially amid the complex fluctuations in the global fertilizer market due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to statistics from the Vietnam Fertilizer Association, the country's annual demand for DAP fertilizer is around 700,000 to 900,000 tons, used as raw material for NPK production and direct application. Among this, domestic production by three plants meets approximately 60-70% of the demand, with the rest dependent on imports.

China, South Korea, and Russia are leading global powerhouses in the production and export of DAP fertilizer, and these three countries are also the main import markets for DAP in Vietnam.

Regarding the news of "temporarily suspending DAP fertilizer imports from the South Korean market," representatives from the Plant Protection Department affirm that up to the present time, neither the department nor the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced or issued any document regarding the temporary suspension or cessation of DAP fertilizer imports from the South Korean market.

All fertilizer importing activities in general, and DAP fertilizer in particular, from the South Korean market and other markets, are carried out in accordance with the regulations stated in the Law on Plant Cultivation and related guiding documents, including Decree No. 84/2019/NĐ/CP of the Government on fertilizer management.

According to Article 46 of the Law on Crop Production, which stipulates state quality inspection of imported fertilizers, all imported fertilizer products entering Vietnam must undergo state quality inspection.

Decree No. 84/2019/NĐ/CP of the Government on fertilizer management also clearly specifies that all quality indicators and limitations of fertilizers must be tested in accordance with the regulations set forth in the national technical standards for fertilizer quality.

In line with the current regulations of Vietnam, DAP fertilizer must adhere to Vietnam's regulations and undergo state quality inspection before being imported.

According to statistics provided by the Plant Protection Department, in the year 2022, Vietnam imported 164 batches of DAP fertilizer with a total volume of over 304,000 tons and a value of 245 million USD. Among these imports, there were 5 batches from the South Korean market, amounting to nearly 24,000 tons and a value of over 20 million USD.

In the first 8 months of 2023, Vietnam imported a total of 157 batches of DAP fertilizer with a volume exceeding 248,000 tons and a value of 168 million USD. Among these imports, 5 batches came from the South Korean market, totaling over 15,000 tons and a value of nearly 13 million USD.

Upon reviewing the recent imports of 3 batches of DAP fertilizer from South Korea on June 30, 2023; July 3, 2023; and July 5, 2023, as well as other batches of DAP imported from various countries, the Plant Protection Department stated that all these batches underwent state quality inspection for fertilizer before being cleared for import. In the hypothetical scenario where the Cadmium content or any other parameter in the DAP fertilizer does not meet the required standards, the goods would be subject to rejection.

Specifically, according to test results provided by Vinacontrol Ho Chi Minh City Inspection Company Limited, the imported batches of DAP fertilizer from South Korea had a minimum total nitrogen content (Nts) of 17.7%, a minimum effective phosphorus content (P2O5hh) of 45.7%, maximum moisture content of 0.68%, and the limiting factor, Cadmium (Cd), yielded results below 12 ppm (with the highest being 10.5 ppm).

Therefore, based on Vietnamese regulations, the batches of DAP fertilizer imported in 2023, including the 3 batches imported from South Korea, all meet the standards for quality indicators (Nts, P2O5hh, moisture) and the limitation of Cadmium (Vietnam stipulates that the Cadmium content must not exceed 12 ppm).

According to the information about authorized units responsible for quality inspection of fertilizers, Vinacontrol Ho Chi Minh City Inspection Company Limited is one of the 9 units in Vietnam that has the legal basis, personnel, machinery, and facilities to carry out sampling, analysis, and reporting in compliance with the regulations for customs clearance.

Furthermore, according to the Plant Protection Department, in addition to quality sampling and inspection at ports and borders, specialized agencies in provinces and cities regularly conduct inspections on fertilizer production, business, and trading activities within the region. Up to the present time, the Plant Protection Department has not received any reports about poor-quality DAP fertilizers in general or DAP fertilizers imported from South Korea.

Therefore, once again, the Plant Protection Department affirms that the information regarding the temporary suspension of DAP fertilizer imports from the South Korean market is inaccurate.

As of now, the import of DAP fertilizers from various countries, including South Korea, is proceeding as usual and is being closely managed and monitored in accordance with the regulations outlined in the Law on Crop Production and Decree No. 84/2019/NĐ-CP of the Government, which governs fertilizer management.

In our conversation with Mr. Phung Ha, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fertilizer Association, he explained that Cadmium is a heavy metal parameter that most countries around the world have defined thresholds for. Cadmium exists in fertilizer products that are produced from apatite ore.

Currently, different countries have set various limits for the Cadmium concentration. While Russia's limit is very low due to high-purity apatite ore, Europe stipulates that fertilizers can contain around 32mg Cadmium per kg (mg Cd/kg) of P2O5, and this limit can go up to 200mg Cd/kg P2O5, depending on the source of the apatite ore.