There remains plenty of room for local enterprises to expand their market shares in the US in the future thanks to its diversification in distribution systems and the openness of American culture, with local fruit and vegetables being a culinary trend, according to insiders.
Pomelos are expected to gain entry to the US market in the coming time
With the US market home to 332 million customers, it also boasts a high per capita income and a three-million-strong overseas Vietnamese community.
Statistics compiled by the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to the US market during the 11-month period last year surged by 33.2% on-year to reach US$203.2 million.
Six types of fresh Vietnamese fruits are permitted to enter the US market, including mangoes, longans, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apples.
Most notably, Ke Sach star apples from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang have been exported to the US and Singaporean markets in huge quantities, said Vu Ba Quan, head of Ke Sach district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam revealed that Vietnamese pomelos will officially enter the US market, while the US authorities will also consider opening the door to Vietnamese coconuts in the near future.
The Deputy Minister therefore recommended that local businesses work closely with local plant quarantine units to complete necessary documents to soon export pomelos to the US.
Aside from advantages, Vietnamese enterprises have also encountered numerous difficulties in exporting fruit and vegetables to the demanding market amid tough competition from states such as Florida and California, as well as South American countries with natural conditions similar to Vietnam, and products from other Asian countries.
Moreover, due to geographical distance, high transportation and storage costs, Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products have yet to make a significance presence in the market.
As a means of increasing the export of fruit and vegetables to the US market, Vietnam’s Trade Office in the US has advised domestic enterprises to co-ordinate efforts with US importers and distributors to study flexible payment methods whilst supporting risk sharing in the early stage of market access.
Furthermore, the trade office emphasised the necessity of investing in cold storages in order to set up a distribution centre for Vietnamese goods at a large port in the West Coast.
This move is anticipated to reduce costs and facilitate the entry of local goods to the market in a convenient manner in the time to come.
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