Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed three important protocols on August 19 during a state visit to China by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President To Lam, paving the way for the export of fresh coconuts, frozen durians and crocodiles from Vietnam to China. This is an important development in bilateral agricultural trade relations.

The three protocols include: "Protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China on Phytosanitary Requirements for importation of Fresh coconuts from Vietnam into China", "Protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary hygiene requirements for importation of farmed crocodiles from Vietnam into China", and "Protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China on Phytosanitary and food safety for importation of frozen durians from Vietnam into China Full Requirements Protocol".

Frozen durian is a product that Vietnam has a great advantage in and is expected to become the main export fruit of Vietnam and make an important contribution to agricultural exports. In 2023, Vietnam exported about 500,000 tons of durian, with exports reaching $2.3 billion, of which 90 percent were exported to China. Frozen durian exports are expected to reach $400 million to $500 million in 2024, the first year of the protocol, and are expected to appear in the list of agricultural products with multi-billion dollar exports in 2025.

Fresh coconuts are also a product with great export potential for Vietnam. At present, Vietnam is the world leader in coconut production and export, with about 175,000 hectares of coconut cultivation, mainly in the Jiulong River Delta. With the opening of the Chinese market, Vietnam's fresh coconut exports are expected to increase by $200 million to $300 million in 2024 and will grow strongly in the coming years.

Vietnam's crocodile farming industry has been developing for 30 years. Crocodile meat, skin and other products have a high economic value. The approval of Vietnamese crocodiles to export to the Chinese market will help enrich the types of agricultural products exported by Vietnam and inject impetus into the sustainable development of Vietnam's crocodile farming industry.