Fresh seedless lemons are bringing enormous economic benefits to Vietnam’s agricultural industry. So how to export this product to the international market? And important notes when exporting fresh lemons to the international market? Let Viet Linh answer the above questions through this article.
1. Instructions on procedures for exporting fresh lemons
Procedures for exporting agricultural products such as fresh Vietnamese lemons to foreign markets are not really complicated. Below are the procedures for exporting fresh lemons to foreign markets.
1.1 Legal policy
Fresh lemons are not on the list of goods banned from import and export. Therefore, individuals and enterprises can carry out procedures to export fresh lemons like normal goods.
According to regulations, before exporting, agricultural products in general and fresh lemons in particular must register for plant quarantine. Therefore, businesses need to prepare a plant quarantine registration application for fresh lemons before going through customs procedures.
1.2 HS Code and tax rate for exporting fresh lemons
Based on the 2023 import-export tariff, fresh lemons have HS code 08055020. In which:
- Chapter 08 – Edible fruits and nuts; peel of citrus fruits or melons
- 0805 – Fresh or dried citrus fruits
- 080550 – Yellow lemon and green lemon
- 08055020 – Green lemon
1.3 Verify import licensing
The first thing to do when exporting agricultural products is to check whether the market has accepted the product or not. Businesses can check themselves on the customs website or discuss with business partners. The importer will help your companies answer in detail about the approved products.
1.4 Carry out customs procedures
Lemons are not banned or restricted from export, so businesses can carry out normal procedures for exporting commercial goods without having to apply for an export license.
Procedures for exporting agricultural products (customs documents) have been specified in detail in Clause 5, Article 1 of Circular 39/2018/TT-BTC. To export fresh lemons, you need to prepare all attached documents such as: Export standards for fresh seedless lemons
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List (List of goods)
- Goods input documents (invoices, purchasing statements)
- Export entrustment contract (if entrusted)
- Documents proving the origin of the export shipment.
- Only when businesses present enough documents can they be approved by customs.
1.5 Fulfill requirements of import partners
Businesses need to discuss with the Consignee about import conditions and requirements of import partners. Important questions include:
- Does the export shipment need to be fumigated? (Fumigation)
- Is quarantine procedure required at the export port? (Phytosanitary)
- Certificate of health, quality, origin is an airline invoice…is it necessary? (Certificate)
2. Lemon export standards
Requirements for importing goods in markets such as the EU, China, and Japan are increasingly strict. Each market will have different regulations and standards, and below are the required conditions.
2.1 Ensuring food safety
Businesses need to ensure the quality and safety of fresh lemons for export. All potential risks such as water pollution or harmful microorganisms must be thoroughly resolved.
Many countries do not allow the use of pesticides or biological preservatives. Hence, it is necessary to spend time on researching the chemicals registered for use in the importing country and strictly comply.
2.2 Standards on product origin
Fresh lemons for export will be grown according to VietGAP or GlobalGAP standards. Each standard will have its own regulations such as:
- VietGAP are regulations on good agricultural production practices for agricultural products in Vietnam. Fresh lemons grown according to this standard will have no chemical or physical contamination when harvested.
- GlobalGAP can be understood as good agricultural production practices globally. Agricultural products grown according to GlobalGAP standards will be monitored for quality and food safety from plant varieties, input materials to production, harvesting, processing, transportation and preservation. Agricultural products certified to GlobalGAP standards will be recognized on a global scale, thereby easily convincing large distributors and penetrating demanding markets.
Markets in developed countries are very interested in the stages of production, processing and distribution of products. Therefore, when exporting paintings, the origin stamp will be attached to help consumers easily identify the origin of the product.
2.3 Regulations on product packaging
To prevent fresh lemons from being crushed or damaged during the long transportation process, packaging is extremely important. Packaging for exporting fresh lemons is usually cartons, because it has profound decomposition ability, while being friendly to the environment and user health. Fresh lemon products will be packaged and refrigerated during transportation.
3. Essential notes when exporting seedless lemons
When exporting fresh seedless lemons to the international market, your business should note several basic points:
- Lemons need to be carefully checked for input quality before being exported.
- Lemons are packaged and stored properly to help them stay fresh longer
- For cold containers, it is necessary to ensure ventilation ranging from 10 to 30%.
- The set temperature reaches an average of +3 degrees Celsius to +6 degrees Celsius.
- The average weight for a full container of 20 RF Cont is 12,100 kgs.
- The average weight for a full container of 40 RF cont is 26,800 kgs.
Currently, Vietnam’s largest fresh lemon import market includes: Southeast Asia, UAE, Middle East… It is important to understand the market before bringing your products to the international market.
Through this article, readers have clearly understood the procedures and standards for exporting fresh lemons that businesses need to understand. These standards and regulations will change continuously. Therefore, in case that customers need advice and support on up-to-date customs documents for fresh lemon products, please contact Viet Linh at hotline: 0345.128.188 for the best support.
