Accordingly, the Vietnamese ministry recommended that businesses and households producing agricultural and aquatic products for exports to China should strengthen quality supervision and actively coordinate with importing partners in strictly complying with Chinese regulations on quality standards, quarantine, food safety and traceability, in order to help minimise risks and clearance time for goods at border gates.

The reason is that the Beijing government detected a new outbreak of COVID-19 last week, related to the Xinfadi agricultural wholesale market there.

Immediately, Beijing and other Chinese localities have conducted a general inspection of food safety and origin of agricultural products, meats and seafoods at local markets. Households dealing in imported agricultural and aquatic products must produce a certificate of quarantine granted by China customs.

The situation may cause the Chinese authorities to further strengthen food safety inspection and supervision, as well as quarantine testing and traceability of imported goods, especially agricultural commodities, meats and aquatic products (frozen, fresh and related products), at import ports/border gates to prevent and control COVID-19.

The movement may also affect the progress of goods clearance at the border gates between Vietnam and China.