The People’s Committee of northern Bac Giang province and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a teleconference on March 29 to promote the export of lychee, a local specialty, to the US.

The event was connected with the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in the US, along with many domestic and foreign businesses and trade centres.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan The Tuan said the Bac Giang lychee has become a famous brand both at home and abroad, and its trademark and geographical indication have been protected in eight countries (China, the US, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia). The fruit has been exported to more than 30 countries and territories.

Thanks to favourable weather, this year’s lychee output is estimated at over 160,000 tonnes, with around 1,600 tonnes expected to be shipped to the US, Australia, and the EU. The early-ripening fruit is set to be harvested from May 15 while the main harvest season will be from June 10 to July 30.

Tuan noted Bac Giang attaches importance to both domestic and foreign markets, adding that it views the US as a potential market with large purchasing power but also strict food safety requirements.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese Embassy will help connect US importers with Vietnamese lychee traders to cooperate in trading lychee, both fresh and processed ones, as well as other strong agricultural products of Bac Giang.

Vice Ambassador of Vietnam to the US and Minister Counsellor Hoang Thi Thanh Nga affirmed that the embassy will provide maximum support to introduce the province’s potential and advantages to US partners.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in the US said joint efforts among the administration, businesses, and transport firms, including airlines, are necessary for lychee export to the US.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong said in 2021, Bac Giang exported over 2 billion USD worth of goods to the US and become the main supplier of several electronic components for some major US businesses. Meanwhile, many fruits from the US have long been present in the province such as apple, grape, and strawberry.

In the time ahead, the province will continue to develop high-quality and organic agriculture so as to foster export, he went on, pointing out that 40 - 50 percent of the local lychee output has been shipped abroad, but the majority is fresh fruit while processed products remain modest.

Given this, it will attract investment to lychee processing and upgrade production technology in order to step up the overseas shipment of processed products, Duong noted.

On this occasion, lychee trading businesses and relevant agencies signed memoranda on cooperation in lychee export to the US./.