Agriculture is one of Vietnam’s key economic sectors, offering a variety of high-quality products widely accepted in global markets. However, exporting agricultural products is not a simple task; it requires compliance with numerous regulations and legal procedures from both exporting and importing parties. In this article, we will introduce you to the process and procedures for exporting agricultural products from Vietnam to other countries, along with important considerations to ensure a successful export.
Export-import process
The export process for agricultural products consists of four main steps:
Step 1: Check information on exported agricultural products
Before initiating the export procedures, it is essential to verify whether your agricultural products meet the quality requirements of the importing country and whether the importing country accepts these specific products. This check helps you choose the appropriate market and importing country for each type of agricultural product.
Step 2: Import procedures and inspection
Once you have identified the product and export market, you must ensure that your products have been inspected and certified for quality, origin, and inspection according to the requirements of both Vietnamese authorities and the importing country.
Some requirements to meet before exporting agricultural products to a partner’s market include:
- Ensuring the product has been irradiated (if applicable).
- Plant quarantine (for crops, seeds, fruits, etc.).
- Animal quarantine (for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, etc.).
- Agricultural products grown and harvested from standard cultivation areas (if applicable).
- Checking the quality of agricultural products for compliance with standards, levels, and pesticide residues in plants.
- Ensuring standards for packaging to prevent damage to goods.
For refrigerated agricultural products, additional considerations include:
- Harvest time of agricultural products.
- Packing time.
- Plant quarantine and animal quarantine time.
- Customs procedures, irradiation checks, certificate of origin (C/O), fumigation time.
- Transportation time.
All these times need to be coordinated to ensure that agricultural products remain undamaged and achieve the best product quality.
This is the most important and complex step, requiring accuracy to avoid mistakes. If your goods are damaged or do not meet the importing country’s requirements, you may face significant risks and costs for handling.
Step 3: Prepare documents for export procedures
When exporting agricultural products, you need to prepare the following documents:
- Bill of lading
- Invoice
- Packing list
- Certificate of quality
- Certificate of origin
- Fumigation certificate
- Export contract for agricultural products
For agricultural products that have been imported and are now being exported, you also need to provide the plant quarantine certificate issued at the time of import by the plant quarantine department.
All these documents should be submitted to the plant quarantine department or animal quarantine department for registration. If your business is exporting for the first time, you may need to invite officials to your warehouse to take inspection samples. If your business has exported many times, you only need to submit samples when submitting the inspection registration.
After completing the above steps, you proceed to pay the inspection fee at the accounting department of the quarantine department.
Step 4: Prepare for delivery
To prepare for the delivery of agricultural products, you need to rely on the production plan and book containers with shipping companies. You need to choose the type of container that suits each type of agricultural product, such as refrigerated containers, dry containers, empty containers, etc. Pay attention to factors such as freight rates, transportation time, arrival time at the port, departure time from the port, etc., to choose the most suitable shipping company.
After booking the container, you need to contact the transport company to arrange the date and time for picking up the container and delivering the goods at the port. You also need to prepare documents such as the bill of lading (B/L), packing list, invoice, certificate of origin (C/O), certificate of quality, etc., to submit to the shipping company and complete customs procedures.
When delivering goods at the port, you need to check the goods for damage, quantity, and quality, comparing them with the contract. If any issues arise, you need to report them immediately to the importer and the shipping company for timely resolution.
Important Notes on Exporting Agricultural Products
To successfully export agricultural products, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- Research thoroughly about the importing market, demand, standards, regulations, and tax rates for each type of agricultural product you intend to export.
- Choose reputable and quality suppliers capable of meeting the quantity and requirements of the importing party.
- Conduct inspection procedures, quality checks, irradiation, etc., seriously and accurately.
- Prepare complete and valid export documents.
- Select a reliable and experienced shipping company and transport company for the transportation of agricultural products.
- Check the goods before delivery and after receiving them.
- Make payments according to the terms of the export contract.
Exporting agricultural products is a business activity with great potential and benefits for Vietnamese enterprises. However, for successful export, you need to strictly adhere to the procedures and import-export regulations. Contact us to gain a clear understanding of the export process for agricultural products, as well as the procedures and regulations for exporting and importing various other types of goods.
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