The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) in collaboration with US partners and authorities organised a workshop themed "Opportunities for export to United States and US Food and Drug Administration’s requirements on imports” in Hanoi on April 11, 2013. This event aimed to popularise the food hygiene and safety requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and help Vietnamese exporters of agricultural and forest products, seafood, foodstuffs, beverages, fruit and vegetables, pharmaceuticals and other items to shorten the time for handling import procedures and permit registration to avoid risks arising from exporting to this market.
A Vietrade representative said that since the United States and Vietnam normalised bilateral relations, and especially after the two countries signed the US - Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), the trade turnover increased rapidly in both scale and speed. The US has become a leading export market of Vietnam.
In 2012, the two-way trade turnover topped US$24.494 billion, of which Vietnam earned more than US$19.667 billion, up 16 percent year on year. However, this value remained quite modest and fell short of the potential and expectations of both parties. Vietnam’s exports to the US market are mainly apparels, furniture, footwear, machines and spare parts, and seafood, while the country imports computers, electronic devices, cotton, chemicals, and raw materials for textile and footwear production.
Highly competitive exports of Vietnam include garments, furniture, leather bags, wallets, umbrellas, seafood and footwear. Highly value-added industrial goods like electrical machinery, equipment and parts are deemed potential and competitive in the near future.
Some products are not very competitive in comparison with other markets, like knitwear, high-grade apparels and furniture (tables and chairs), because designs and quality do not meet consumer tastes. Meanwhile, the country does not have many new exports or otherwise they come in small proportion like medical supplies, monitors, projectors, electronic circuits, automotive and motorcycle parts.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Davi Lennarz, an FDA official, introduced the US regulations on production and trading of food and FDA regulations on food safety and consumer protection. He also presented FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act, particularly new points that may affect exports to the US in order to help Vietnamese companies spend less time on export procedures and permit registration and avoid risks when doing business with the US.
Mr David Lennarz said a company must register a code with FDA and the agency will check and administer food and drug safety through this code. To date, some 420,000 units worldwide have been granted the code, including 50 percent outside the US. Vietnam has 6,594 codes.
Mr Davi Lennarz stressed that one mistake Vietnamese companies often commit is involving FDA labelling requirements for foods and materials. Inaccurate labelling may result in rejection of food and materials. He added that exporters must inform FDA before their shipments arrive at the ports of destination, not after that. Labelling must be lawful and accurate, especially nutrition facts and HACCP and GMP regulations. Therefore, they need to thoroughly study the laws in order to avoid risks and losses.
He noted information about ingredients, trans-fat and allergens, as well as manufacturers, must also be presented clearly on label.
Thu Ha
Vietnamese
