On October 16, the General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement granting official permission for the import of Vietnamese dairy products and outlining requirements for the products.
TH Milk Joint Stock Company is the first company granted a code to export two groups of dairy products by China General Department of Customs: pure sterilized fresh milk and pasteurized fresh milk with natural flavoring.
TH Milk said the announcement ceremony of Vietnam's first export of dairy products to the Chinese market is important for Vietnam's agriculture sector as it tries to boost agricultural exports, and is also a an important milestone for Vietnam's dairy industry.
The company said the official approval of China to import dairy products from Vietnam shows Vietnam's dairy industry is growing and integrating with the world. Dairy enterprises have built concentrated farm models, applied technology, and 4.0 technology in production and management.
Opening the Chinese market will create great opportunities for the dairy industry and Vietnam's milk production and processing. At the ceremony, TH Milk Joint Stock Company also conducted a signing ceremony, exporting the first batch of dairy products with Kim Kieu Trading Company (Wuxi, China).
Vietnam’s largest dairy company, Vinamilk, is also looking to start exporting to China in the near future.
Export criteria
Under the agreement, China will allow Vietnamese milk products processed from heat-treated milk, including pasteurized milk, sterilized milk, prepared milk, fermented milk, cheese and processed cheese, cream, cream, and water, as well as cream, condensed milk, milk powder, whey powder, whey protein powder, bovine colostrum powder, casein, milk mineral salt, milk-based infant formula and premix (or base powder).
Imported Vietnamese pasteurized milk and prepared milk produced by pasteurization will be examined and approved in advance for quarantine inspection and must obtain the relevant permit.
Vietnamese exports of dairy products to China must also be accompanied by a Vietnamese health certificate issued by the government.
Vietnamese dairy products must be also packaged in new materials that meet the relevant Chinese standards. The outer packaging must be in Chinese and English to indicate the specifications, origin (specific to state/province/city), destination, product name, weight, manufacturer name, registration number, production batch number, storage conditions, production date and shelf life.
The inner packaging must comply with the relevant regulations of China. The label should indicate the country of origin, product name, company registration number, manufacturer's name and address, contact information, production date and shelf life, and production batch number.
Storage and transportation must also meet strict sanitary conditions to prevent contamination by toxic and hazardous substances, and after goods are loaded into the container, a seal needs to be applied, with the seal number indicated on the health certificate.