The US has given the green light to imports of grapefruit from Vietnam after agreeing a phytosanitary protocol with the Vietnamese authorities.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Tran Thanh Nam said shipments could get underway within two months.
Grapefruit joins a growing list of fruit to gain access to the US market, the others being mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan and star apple.
“The companies that wish to export the fruit to the US must work with Vietnam's plant quarantine authority to complete the necessary documents to be able to export their grapefruits to the US soon,” Nam said.
According to the Crop Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam has 105,400 ha of grapefruit plantings and a production volume of almost 950,000 tonnes.
Vietnamese grapefruit exports have risen sharply in recent years. In 2019 they generated around US$4.8m, while the following year they reached US$10.9m in January-September period.
The country’s main grapefruit export markets are the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN countries), Canada, and the European Union.
