Delay in exporting fruits to the US: Businesses concerned

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Illustrative photo.

Covid-19 causes difficulties for returning Vietnam of the US experts

On August 7, businesses exporting fruits to the US faced the difficulty in irradiation. Previously, when Covid-19 was complex in March, the US requested localexperts to return their countries, including the staff of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

APHIS is the agency that quarantines and supervises the irradiation process of Son Son Irradiation Plant in HCM City. This is also the only irradiation plant in Vietnam certified by APHIS.

After the APHIS experts returned to the US, the US ambassador to Vietnam was authorised to monitor the irradiation, but only worked two hours per day.

However, this work is also not the expertise of the USambassador, from August 7; it has not received the quarantine. Since then, irradiation has been delayed and fruit exports to the US have been suspended.

Nguyen Quang Hieu, Head of International Cooperation and Communication Division under the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, since the end of July, APHIS agreed to send staff to Vietnam to conduct quarantine for shipments of fresh fruit exported to the US.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is difficult for Vietnam and the US to issue boarding permits.

Procedures to apply for a permit for APHIS experts to board must have an isolation and transportation plan. But to have an isolation plan, the information on flight, passport and visa must be presented. The information can only be obtained after the US side allows the experts to returnto Vietnam.

“We have this information for Vietnamese procedures but currently commercial flights have not yet implemented, so there is not flight information to plan,” Hieu said

Currently, the Plant Protection Department has made effort to find some flights of Asiana, Korea Air, Nippon Airline and also flights for citizen protection to take APHIS quarantine expertsto Vietnam. “If there is any flight, we will book for the APHIS’ experts to arrive in Vietnam as soon as possible” Hieu said.

Businesses concerned about losing customers

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said up to now, the specific time when US experts come to Vietnam is still not specific. If the congestion is prolonged, it will affect exporters, not only fruit exporters but also fishery exporters.

Businesses that have signed offtake contracts for famers will suffer losses, asif they cannot export goods, they still have to pay the farmers. In addition, finding a new market at present is not easy in the complexcontext of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From the perspective of fruit exporters to the US, Ngo Tuong Vy, Deputy Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import and Export Company, said orders delivered to customers are being suspended, it is very difficult to buy raw materials for farmers. The firmcan only wait for the US side to send experts to resume irradiation rather than do anything.

“If the situation is prolonged, the company’s customers will lackgoods for a long time, they may buy from other partners. Thus, the risk of losing customers is high.

Arepresentative of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association suggested the US authorise the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam to inspect and monitor the irradiation process or the second option is to arrange a private flight for US experts to arrive inVietnam and combine with two-way freight of goods to save costs.

“The freight will be offset for hiring cost of private flight. The Son Son Irradiation Plant will pay the sufficient cost. Besides, upon irradiation, agricultural exporters will pay additional fees for hiring the private flight,” Nguyen said.