Vietnam to Facilitate Dairy Imports from New Zealand

On March 11, 2024, Vietnam and New Zealand signed a cooperation agreement for the period of 2024-2026, focusing on strengthening collaboration in animal quarantine and inspection, specially facilitating customs clearance at border gates through digital solutions. To this end, Vietnam will conduct a pilot program to simplify and accelerate the customs clearance process by implementing electronic quarantine certification, beginning with dairy products imported from New Zealand.

The trial implementation of electronic inspection certification is expected to be carried out from the end of 2024 to the second quarter of 2025. If favorable, the two sides will expand electronic quarantine to other products in the third quarter of 2025.

The adoption of electronic quarantine certificates is expected to streamline customs procedures, reduce paperwork, and enable more efficient customs clearance of animal products at border checkpoints, thereby facilitating the import of dairy and other animal products from New Zealand to Vietnam. As per the market intelligence report of New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade in 2022, New Zealand is the largest exporter of dairy products to Vietnam, accounting for about 40% of its total dairy imports.