Phytosanitary protocol signed to allow Vietnamese grapefruit and lemon exports to China

As part of the state visit by General Secretary and President Tô Lâm to China on 15 April 2026 in Beijing, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) officially signed a phytosanitary protocol on plant health requirements for the export of grapefruits and lemons from Vietnam to China.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by General Secretary and President Tô Lâm and GACC General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping. Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Trịnh Việt Hùng and GACC Director-General Tôn Mai Quân signed the phytosanitary protocol for grapefruit and lemon exports from Vietnam to China.

Technical negotiations and protocol requirements

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the protocol signing follows a structured technical negotiation process that has been ongoing since 2019 between the two countries’ agencies responsible for plant protection and quarantine.

Under the protocol, all grapefruit and lemon production areas and packing facilities exporting to China must be registered with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and approved by both sides. Production areas must apply good agricultural practices (GAP), integrated pest management (IPM), and implement technical measures including fruit bagging at least 60 days before harvest and placing fruit fly traps to control pests.

For packing facilities, the requirements include hygienic conditions, a hard and clean floor, and clearly separated functional areas. During packing, products must be selected, sorted, and cleaned to remove diseased, damaged, or pest-infected fruit, while branches, leaves, and foreign matter must be discarded.

Vietnam’s grapefruit and lemon production context

Grapefruit and lemons are among Vietnam’s prominent agricultural exports. Vietnam’s national grapefruit area is about 106,000 hectares, placing the country among the world’s large producers. Growing areas are concentrated in traditional localities and are expanding to provinces including Hanoi, Phú Thọ, Tuyên Quang, Vĩnh Long, Đồng Nai, and Đồng Tháp.

Specialty grapefruit varieties mentioned include Diễn grapefruit, Phúc Trạch grapefruit, Đoan Hùng grapefruit, Nam Roi grapefruit, and Da Xanh grapefruit, which are described as delivering high yields and quality to meet market demand.

Market impact and implementation

China is described as a large fruit-consuming market with rising demand and a key role for Vietnamese agricultural exports. Building on the success of other products exported through formal channels, grapefruit and lemons are expected to expand market share, increase value, and strengthen Vietnam’s position in the Chinese market.

The protocol is also expected to help complete the legal framework for formal exports and improve market access efficiency, support higher incomes for producers, and encourage production reorganization toward standardized practices, pest control, and traceability.

Next steps for enforcement

In the coming period, the Plant Cultivation and Plant Health Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) will coordinate with localities, associations, and enterprises to implement the protocol. The work will focus on training and disseminating the rules, building and standardizing production areas and packing facilities to meet technical requirements, and strengthening inspection and supervision to ensure compliance with Chinese regulations.

These efforts are intended to support sustainable development of grapefruit and lemon production for the Chinese market and create opportunities for other Vietnamese agricultural products to access broader international markets.