Vietnamese fruits have many export opportunities to the Nordic market.

The official dispatch stated that in recent years, agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production, especially food production in our country, has always been stable, maintaining a fairly strong growth momentum, with each year surpassing the previous one, and the value increasing.export of agricultural, forestry and aquatic productsIn 2024, it reached $62.5 billion (a record high).

Recently, and especially in the near future, the global trade situation may experience significant fluctuations due to changes in tariff policies of some countries, potentially affecting production and exports in general, and the production and consumption of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in particular. However, this also presents an opportunity for industries, localities, businesses, and individuals to accelerate the transformation and diversification of products and markets to produce in a sustainable manner.

To proactively respond to the impacts of trade instability, ensure stable production and consumption of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products, and improve the income and living standards of the people, the Prime Minister requests:

Ministers of Agriculture and Environment, Industry and Trade, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, and Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, according to their assigned functions and duties, shall continue to closely monitor the global trade situation and developments, proactively direct and implement timely and flexible appropriate and effective solutions to proactively respond to challenges caused by trade instability; and provide timely information to agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production, trading, and export businesses so that they can proactively adapt flexibly and effectively to import policies and tariff policies of importing countries in order to stabilize agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production and export.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment: Continue to focus on directing localities to boost agricultural production, especially food, to ensure sufficient supply to meet domestic needs while also serving exports, ensuring national food security in all situations. Proactively coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to propose appropriate solutions to ensure the production and consumption of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products, preventing disruptions to the supply chain and affecting the production and lives of the people. Focus on directing the restructuring of the agricultural sector towards large-scale commodity production, developing green, organic, circular, and sustainable agriculture, and continue to effectively implement the Project for the sustainable development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030.

Coordinate with industry associations, businesses, and localities to review production plans and strategies towards product diversification and market diversification to proactively and flexibly adapt to market fluctuations and new demands; promote the development of geographical indications and product brands, issue codes for growing and raising areas, and build a rigorous product traceability system to prevent trade fraud, especially for industries with a high risk of origin evasion.

Promote research and application of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in the agricultural sector, focusing on researching and introducing new high-yield, high-quality crop and livestock varieties that are adaptable to climate change; prioritize research and application of technology and technical support for preservation and deep processing, especially for high-value products (such as shrimp, catfish, and fresh fruit) to shift from exporting raw products to refined products and canned goods for export and the domestic market, increasing the added value of agricultural products. Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to proactively research options for supporting temporary stockpiling of certain commodities at risk of price drops during peak harvest seasons, especially rice, coffee, and pepper, to minimize the impact on farmers' income.

The Minister of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will direct efforts to strengthen trade promotion and negotiate with countries with potential markets to further expand and diversify export markets, especially with major trading partners that have FTA agreements with Vietnam; diversify products and supply chains; and simultaneously implement connection programs, organize agricultural product weeks and Vietnamese goods fairs to exploit the potential of domestic and foreign markets; and proactively take appropriate safeguard measures to protect domestic production.

The Ministry of Finance continues to direct the resolution of obstacles, reform administrative procedures, simplify customs clearance procedures for import and export, shorten VAT refund time, and implement policies on tax deferral and refund, and land rent in accordance with the law to contribute to reducing compliance costs and enhancing the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products; it also presides over and coordinates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and relevant agencies to research and propose appropriate tax policies, especially for agricultural, forestry and aquatic products affected by trade instability, in order to support businesses in finding new alternative markets.

The State Bank of Vietnam has directed the maintenance and expansion of preferential credit packages for the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors; and continued lending to support businesses in maintaining production, creating conditions to ensure jobs, livelihoods, income, and living standards for workers.

Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall closely monitor the situation, proactively direct and implement solutions to ensure the production and consumption of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in their localities; direct local functional agencies to strengthen inspections, prevent and combat fraud and misrepresentation of origin of goods, and prevent counterfeit and substandard goods; strictly manage the use of additives and processing aids for post-harvest preservation of agricultural products, addressing the use of chemicals harmful to consumer health and affecting the reputation and quality of Vietnamese agricultural products; strictly handle cases of origin fraud, price manipulation, misinformation, and market instability; and be responsible for ensuring security, safety, environmental hygiene, and food safety in their localities.

Businesses involved in the production, trading, and export of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products should closely monitor global trade developments, especially the tariff policies of some traditional markets, to flexibly adjust their production and business plans. This will enable them to proactively and effectively adapt to market fluctuations; strengthen the development of supply chains, invest in the development of raw material areas and cold storage systems, apply modern technology to production, deep processing, and preservation of agricultural products, and build brands; regularly keep abreast of the agricultural import policies of other countries to avoid being caught off guard by changes in the policies of importing nations; and increase the purchase and stockpiling of agricultural and aquatic products, especially during peak harvest seasons, to support consumption for farmers and to serve deep processing and improve product quality.

The Government Office, in accordance with its assigned functions and duties, shall monitor and urge the implementation of this Directive; and promptly report to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of any unforeseen or emerging issues.

According to Nhan Dan Newspaper