Coffee, pepper and many other key agricultural products exported from Vietnam to the European Union (EU) are expected to face many difficulties in 2025 as the region strengthens food safety monitoring measures.

Many items including durian, banana, mango, vegetables such as onions, garlic, chili, and even items including rice, tea, coffee and products of animal origin are also subject to new adjustments on strengthening sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) for imported food into this region. There are 2 newly established active ingredients and 2 old active ingredients with commonly adjusted concentrations reduced by hundreds of times compared to the current regulations. This will make Vietnam's agricultural exports to the EU much more difficult.

Exporting coffee and agricultural products to the EU will face many difficulties in 2025. Photo: MINH DANG

The Vietnam SPS Office (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) SPS Committee has just sent to EU members to seek opinions regarding the EU's proposal for maximum residue levels (MRL) for some active ingredients. The comment period for these proposals is in August 2024 and is expected to be applied in February 2025.

Accordingly, with the active ingredient Zoxamide, Vietnam has okra products exported to the EU that are subject to control measures at the border gate. The maximum residue level according to the old regulation is 0.02ppm, but the new draft only allows 0.01ppm. Most notably, vegetables such as lettuce, salad, and spinach, the old concentration is 30ppm, but the new draft is only 0.01ppm.

In particular, it is worth noting that for Vietnam, coffee and tea are products with high export value, the concentration according to the regulation is 0.05ppm, but now it is only 0.01ppm.

With the active ingredient Acetamiprid, banana products according to the old regulation have a concentration of 0.4ppm, but the new regulation is 0.01ppm; bell pepper and sweet pepper products from 0.3 now only 0.09ppm, tomatoes from 0.5ppm to 0.06...

In addition, the EU also applies control to 2 new active ingredients, Fenbuconazole and Penconazole. Of these, for Vietnam, the citrus fruit group and the nut group such as cashew nuts, macadamia nuts... have a very low concentration of only 0.01ppm. Okra is also a product that continues to be controlled with these 2 substances and the concentration is also only 0.01ppm. With these 2 active ingredients, important products of Vietnam will be subject to the control, such as rice with a concentration of 0.01ppm; coffee, spices and honey with the same level of 0.05ppm.

Dr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of the Vietnam SPS Office, recommended: The EU plans to apply these regulations from February 2025. Thus, manufacturers have 6 months to prepare for appropriate adjustments. If we grasp information promptly, proactively adjust and control the residue levels of the above 4 active ingredients, we are confident that we will meet EU regulations.

Source: Thanh Nien NewspaperIn addition, the EU also applies control to 2 new active ingredients, Fenbuconazole and Penconazole. Of these, for Vietnam, the citrus fruit group and the nut group such as cashew nuts, macadamia nuts... have a very low concentration of only 0.01ppm. Okra is also a product that continues to be controlled with these 2 substances and the concentration is also only 0.01ppm. With these 2 active ingredients, important products of Vietnam will be subject to the control, such as rice with a concentration of 0.01ppm; coffee, spices and honey with the same level of 0.05ppm.

Dr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Director of the Vietnam SPS Office, recommended: The EU plans to apply these regulations from February 2025. Thus, manufacturers have 6 months to prepare for appropriate adjustments. If we grasp information promptly, proactively adjust and control the residue levels of the above 4 active ingredients, we are confident that we will meet EU regulations.

Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper