Shipping of Vietnamese products to the EU could be suspended due to security breaches

According to the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Administration (SPS Việt Nam) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the export of Vietnamese okra, also known as gumbo, to the European Union may be suspended due to high levels of pesticide residues).

Ngô Xuân Nam, deputy director of the SPS, said Vietnamese okra was one of five Vietnamese agricultural products subjected to stricter inspection standards by the EU.

According to current EU regulations, okra is subject to a 50 percent inspection requirement upon entry. Likewise, Vietnamese durian has been subjected to a 10 percent inspection, while instant noodles and dragon fruit each require a 20 percent inspection. They were also asked by the EU to undergo further testing.

However, given recent reports of Vietnamese durian and okra not meeting EU requirements for pesticide residues, the EU may increase controls on dragon fruit to 30 percent and temporarily suspend all imports of okra, Nam said.

Vietnamese noodles, on the other hand, could be removed from the list as there have been no violations in the last six months, the deputy director said.

Nam warned companies that their products could continue to be subject to stricter controls if they do not comply with EU safety rules. VNS