The EU requires imported agricultural products to meet stricter food safety regulations. This poses new challenges for exporters to the European market.

Exporting fresh agricultural products to the EU has new regulations.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, the introduction of new regulations on food safety and sustainability to reduce environmental impact as well as ensure product quality is mainly applied in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Banning certain chemicals

Reducing pesticide residues is one of the new regulations affecting fresh produce. Specifically, the EU requires imported agricultural products to meet strict pesticide residue limits (MRLs).

Notably, some chemicals that are not allowed to be used in the EU will be completely banned on imported products.

Under Regulation 2023/915, maximum residue levels for cadmium will be reduced for fruits such as strawberries, citrus, mangoes, bananas and pineapples. Nordic supermarkets often require their own, more stringent standards than the EU regulations.

In addition, fresh agricultural products imported into the EU need to have a phytosanitary certificate, with exemptions for bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians. This certification ensures that the product does not carry harmful organisms.

In addition, heat treatment of mangoes or similar measures is also recommended to prevent fruit flies.

In the new regulation, the EU also applies higher inspection rates to products with a high risk of chemical residues from certain countries. For example, this market increases inspection and monitoring of 50% of peppers from the Dominican Republic, 30% of oranges and peppers from Egypt, 10% of beans and 20% of peppers from Kenya.

Do not exceed chemical residue levels

To avoid barriers to importing fresh agricultural products, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden recommends that Vietnamese exporters ensure that their products do not exceed the permitted chemical residue levels and meet the strict requirements of Northern European importers.

The use of plant protection chemicals must be approved by the EU. Enterprises also need to test chemical residues at internationally standardized laboratories before exporting.

For the EU, phytosanitary certification is a mandatory requirement for products to enter this market.

Therefore, Vietnamese exporters need to cooperate closely with quarantine agencies in Vietnam to ensure the inspection process and certification are in accordance with standards. In addition, applying treatment measures to eliminate the risk of harmful organisms is also necessary.

For agricultural products such as chili, beans and tropical fruits, enterprises need to improve quality control at the source. At the same time, prepare complete documents on production and inspection processes to promptly resolve any problems that arise.

“Good compliance with EU regulations not only helps products meet requirements but also builds credibility with Nordic customers,” said the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden.

In addition, consumers in Nordic countries are particularly interested in sustainable products that do not harm the environment. Therefore, businesses need to demonstrate their efforts to protect the environment through certifications such as GlobalGAP, Rainforest Alliance or Fairtrade.

In addition, fresh agricultural product exporters are recommended to apply measures to minimize environmental impacts throughout the supply chain.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden said that the Nordic market places high demands on the quality and traceability of agricultural products. This requires Vietnamese export enterprises to prepare carefully and meet high standards.

However, with the right strategy, enterprises can not only overcome challenges but also take advantage of opportunities to expand market share in this region.

Source: https://znews.vn/nong-san-tuoi-nhap-khau-vao-eu-co-thu-thach-moi-post1529934.html