Vietnam’s Dragon Fruit Exports Stalled Amid Certification Delays, Hundreds of Tonnes at Risk

Vietnam’s dragon fruit industry is facing a severe export crisis due to recent changes in food safety certification procedures, leaving shipments stranded and buyers in Europe turning to alternative sources.

According to Vietnamnet Global, exports of dragon fruit from Binh Thuan province .. a key growing region .. have been “seriously disrupted,” with an estimated 150–170 tonnes of fruit now at risk of spoilage. Of that, approximately 100 tonnes have already gone to waste as exporters await crucial food safety documentation.

The disruption stems from a shift in administrative responsibility for certifying shipments to the European Union. Previously managed at the regional level, certification duties were recently reassigned to provincial authorities, causing confusion and significant delays in the issuance of required export documents.

Huynh Canh, chairman of the Binh Thuan Dragon Fruit Association, said the backlog has persisted for more than three weeks. Exporters have been left in limbo since July 1, awaiting clarity from the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department, which is handling such export certifications for the first time.

“Our businesses have been waiting at the department since early July, but the procedures remain unclear,” one unnamed exporter told the outlet. “We’ve proposed allowing temporary exports while a formal process is established.”

The delays have prompted European buyers to cancel contracts and turn to alternative suppliers, particularly in Thailand and Ecuador — a move that could have longer-term implications for Vietnam’s competitiveness in the global market.

The export bottleneck is reportedly affecting not only dragon fruit but also other agricultural products, including peppers, as the certification logjam continues to hinder trade.

Industry leaders are now urging Vietnamese authorities to implement interim measures and streamline the certification process to prevent further economic losses and damage to the country’s agricultural reputation abroad.

OpenAI: You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors.

OpenAI: You exceeded your current quota, please check your plan and billing details. For more information on this error, read the docs: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/error-codes/api-errors.