The European Union has announced the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the block of certain goods, including durian from Việt Nam.Accordingly, durian from Việt Nam, both chilled and fresh, for the first time will be subject to identity and physical checks on 10 per cent of consignments.In the announcement, the EU said that data from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications and information regarding official control performed by the member states indicate the emergency of new risks to human health, due to a possible contamination by pesticide residues.Besides durian, peppers of genus capsicum (fresh, chilled or frozen) and instant noodles containing spices, seasonings or sauces from Việt Nam are also included in the list for increased levels of official controls, with the frequency of identity and physical checks at 50 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.This EU update adds more than 100 goods from 27 countries and will take effect 20 days from the announcement date, meaning the new regulations will be applied from early February.EU imports around US$160 billion worth of agricultural products every year, of which, Việt Nam accounted for a modest 4-5 per cent.The durian export of Việt Nam reached nearly $2.2 billion in the first 11 months of 2023, 4.8 times higher than the same period last year. China was the largest market for Việt Nam’s durian with a share of more than 91 per cent. Exports of durian to some EU member countries increased strongly, such as Czech by 28,000 per cent and France by 32 per cent.Nguyễn Thuỳ Linh from the Department of International Cooperation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that Việt Nam must hasten efforts to take advantage of the trade deal as the EU is going to complete negotiations on an FTA with Thailand, a competitor to many Vietnamese products. (ICE HO CHI MINH CITY)

Fonte notizia: Vietnam News