Export Conditions for Agricultural Products – A Prerequisite for Accessing the Global Market

In the context of deep international economic integration, bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to the global stage is not merely about exporting—it is a comprehensive process that requires careful preparation and strict compliance with international regulations.

To successfully penetrate demanding markets, businesses must thoroughly understand and fully meet the export requirements specific to each country. These are not just technical barriers but also opportunities to enhance the quality and reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products.

This article provides a detailed analysis of the importance of these conditions, the mandatory requirements, necessary documentation, and how companies like Viot Minh Trang are meeting these standards to compete globally.

Why Is It Necessary to Meet Agricultural Export Requirements?

Meeting the conditions for exporting agricultural products is not merely a legal obligation imposed by importing markets—it is also a critical strategy that offers long-term and strategic benefits for both businesses and the national agricultural sector.

In an increasingly competitive global market that demands high standards for quality, safety, and social responsibility, compliance with these export conditions becomes a vital factor that determines a product’s ability to enter and maintain its position in international markets.

Specifically, the main reasons include:

Ensuring Quality and Food Safety

The core and non-negotiable objective in exporting agricultural products is to ensure quality and safety for consumers. As essential commodities that directly affect human health, agricultural exports are subject to stringent food safety standards in importing markets. These include strict controls on pesticide residues, antibiotics, heavy metals, and harmful microorganisms.

Strict compliance with these conditions not only preserves the product’s inherent quality but also builds strong trust among international customers and partners. This, in turn, protects the brand’s reputation and helps avoid legal and health-related risks.

Compliance with Legal Regulations and Market Requirements

The global market is a complex network of varying regulations and standards. Each country or market region (such as the EU, the U.S., Japan, and China) has its own legal framework governing agricultural imports—from plant and animal quarantine regulations, production area and packing facility codes, to packaging and labeling directives.

Failing to meet even a single export condition can lead to serious consequences, such as import rejection, heavy fines, or even permanent bans—resulting in massive economic losses and reputational damage. On the other hand, proactively understanding and complying with these regulations facilitates smooth customs clearance and allows businesses to expand into high-potential markets.

Minimizing Risks and Losses

Exporting agricultural products involves a long and complex supply chain—from harvesting, preliminary processing, and packaging, to sea or air transport, warehousing, and final distribution. When export requirements are strictly and scientifically followed, each step of this chain is closely monitored and controlled.

This significantly reduces risks such as product damage from impact, temperature, or humidity changes; prevents cross-contamination and microbial growth; and minimizes cargo loss. As a result, businesses can save substantial costs related to handling spoiled goods, compensation, or re-export—ultimately maximizing profits and improving operational efficiency.

Building National Reputation and Brand Value

Beyond immediate economic gains, the consistent delivery of high-quality agricultural products that meet international standards is crucial for positioning Vietnam as a reputable, transparent, and responsible exporter. When every shipment meets expectations, trust in Vietnamese agricultural products grows steadily among global partners and consumers.

This not only enhances the value and pricing of individual products but also creates a competitive advantage for Vietnam’s agricultural sector as a whole. It paves the way for stronger partnerships and more sustainable development opportunities on the international stage.

Conditions for exporting agricultural products

Mandatory Conditions for Exporting Agricultural Products from Vietnam

To successfully export agricultural products to international markets, Vietnamese businesses must not only offer high-quality goods but also comply with a range of mandatory export conditions set by both Vietnamese law and importing countries. Strict adherence to these requirements forms a solid foundation for smooth customs clearance and acceptance in even the most demanding markets.

Below are the key conditions exporters must pay close attention to:

Product Quality

Agricultural products must meet registered quality standards or specific requirements set by the target market. These standards often include criteria such as size, color, freshness, ripeness, firmness, nutritional content, and other sensory characteristics.

For fresh produce, quality control must begin at the cultivation stage, ensuring products are free from damage and pests.
For processed products, compliance with standards for ingredients, moisture content, and production processes is essential.

Food Safety and Hygiene

This is one of the most stringent requirements for agricultural exports and a top priority for importing markets. Products must be safe for consumers—free from excessive pesticide residues, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and harmful microorganisms such as E. coli and Salmonella.

To demonstrate compliance, businesses are often required to obtain international food safety certifications such as:

• HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

• ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management Systems)

• BRC (British Retail Consortium Global Standards)

• FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification)

In addition, implementing sustainable farming standards such as GlobalGAP or VietGAP further proves that safety is ensured throughout the production process—from farm to final product.

Plant and Animal Quarantine

Depending on the type of agricultural product—whether fresh plant products, plant-based goods, animals, or animal-derived products—the goods must undergo inspection and be issued a quarantine certificate by the competent authority in Vietnam (e.g., the Plant Protection Department or the Department of Animal Health).

This certificate confirms that the product is free from diseases, pests, or harmful organisms that could affect the agriculture of the importing country. This requirement is particularly strict for fresh fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed products, which must comply with phytosanitary protocols agreed upon by both countries.

Packaging and Labeling

Export packaging should not only aim to protect the product but also support the specific regulations of each market. Packaging must be suitable for the product characteristics (moisture-proof, shock-proof, ventilated), the method of transportation (sea, air) and especially the material standards (for example: non-harmful materials, recyclable, free of prohibited substances). Labels must be clear, with full information in the language of the importing country, including: product name, origin, city, clean weight, expiry date, manufacturer/exporter information, importer information, barcode and warning symbols (such as “easy to part”, “preservation” …).

Traceability and growing area/packing facility codes

This export condition is becoming increasingly essential, especially in high-end markets. Products must have clear and transparent traceability—from the cultivation or farming area, through preprocessing facilities, to the processing and packaging plants.

Many markets now require mandatory Production Code Cluster (PCC) and Packing Facility Code (PCF), issued by Vietnam’s competent authorities and approved by the importing country.

This traceability system ensures strict control over the entire supply chain, helping guarantee the sustainability and safety of the products.

Mandatory conditions for exporting agricultural products from Vietnam

Required Documents and Certifications for Exporting Agricultural Products

To legalize and ensure a smooth customs clearance process, exporting businesses must prepare a complete set of documentation in accordance with international agricultural export standards. These documents serve as proof that both the product and the business have met all mandatory export requirements:

Legal Documents of the Business

These include the Business Registration Certificate (with import-export activities listed), Export License (if required for specific products), Tax Identification Number, and documents related to production and processing capabilities—such as a Certificate of Eligibility for Food Production/Trading.

Sales Contract

This is the most crucial legal document, outlining the terms and conditions of the transaction between the buyer (importer) and the seller (exporter). It includes details such as product type, quantity, price, delivery terms (Incoterms), payment method, and delivery schedule.

Commercial Invoice and Packing List

The Commercial Invoice is a payment document that details the value of the goods, quantity, product description, and seller/buyer information. The Packing List provides detailed information about the packaging, including the number of packages, net/gross weight, and dimensions of each package, facilitating the counting and customs clearance process.

Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB)

These are transport documents issued by shipping lines (Bill of Lading for sea freight) or airlines (Air Waybill for air freight), confirming that the goods have been received for transport to a specified destination. They also serve as proof of ownership of the goods.

Certificate of Origin (C/O)

This certifies that the goods are entirely produced or substantially processed in Vietnam. The C/O is a critical export requirement, especially when businesses seek to benefit from tariff preferences under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to which Vietnam is a signatory.

Certifications required when exporting agricultural products

Phytosanitary Certificate (PC)

Mandatory for all plant-based products (such as fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, wood, etc.), the Phytosanitary Certificate is issued by the national plant quarantine authority. It confirms that the shipment has been inspected and is free from pests, insects, or harmful pathogens that could pose a risk to the agriculture of the importing country.

Health Certificate (HC)

Applicable to products of animal origin (such as seafood, meat) or processed food items, the Health Certificate is issued by a competent health or veterinary authority. It certifies that the products meet hygiene and food safety standards and are safe for human consumption.

International quality certifications (GlobalGAP, Organic, HACCP, ISO 22000, Halal, Kosher, BRC…)

Although these certifications are not always mandatory conditions for agricultural exports to clear customs, they are a huge competitive advantage, helping products easily penetrate high-end markets and affirm their reputation. These certifications demonstrate that businesses comply with strict production, quality management and food safety processes according to international standards.

VIOT Việt Nam – Đáp ứng đầy đủ các yêu cầu xuất khẩu nông sản

To effectively take advantage of the wide-open agricultural export opportunities and meet all the strict agricultural export conditions of the global market, the role of pioneering enterprises is extremely important. Viot Minh Trang is proud to be a leading unit in the field of providing clean agricultural products, committed to bringing high-quality products and strictly complying with the requirements for exporting large quantities to international markets.

We strictly manage and control more than 3,000 hectares of raw material areas in key provinces, from Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Son La, Dak Lak to Hanoi. The cultivation process is strictly applied according to VietGAP/GlobalGAP standards, ensuring that the input raw materials are always clean, safe and of consistent quality.

VIOT Vietnam – Fully meeting the requirements for exporting agricultural products

In particular, Viot Minh Trang’s modern processing factory has achieved strict international certifications such as ISO 22000, HACCP, GMP, Halal. This not only affirms product quality but also demonstrates compliance with regulations on food safety, hygiene and sustainable production processes – key factors that help Vietnamese agricultural products conquer the most demanding markets.

We ensure that all products from Viot Minh Trang are qualified for agricultural export with the highest quality, from fresh fruits, frozen vegetables to dried or ground products. Viot Minh Trang is ready to supply large quantities, diverse products and flexible OEM/ODM packaging services according to the requirements of international partners.

Mastering and complying with the conditions for exporting agricultural products is the golden key to help Vietnamese enterprises firmly step on the path of international integration. From product quality, food safety and hygiene, traceability to international certifications and standard packaging processes, each factor contributes to creating success. With serious and professional investment, along with the support of prestigious units such as Viet Minh Trang, Vietnamese agricultural products will continue to effectively take advantage of agricultural export opportunities, increase value and affirm a sustainable position in the global market.