Use of fake codes in durian exports to China reported

It has recently received a number of complaints from genuine exporters about this kind of fraud, Dang Phuc Nguyen, its general secretary, said.

Only fruits from farming areas and packaging facilities whose area codes have been approved by Chinese authorities can be exported to that country.

Exporter Vina T&T has reported a case involving its packaging facility code (VN-BTPH-036), with someone forging the stamp and signature of Vo Huu Truong, head of its office in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, to sign a contract on Dec. 10 that allowed another firm, Eureka Marketing, to use the code to export durians to China.

As a result several shipments bearing Vina T&T’s code passed through customs.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, the exporter’s CEO, said the clearance of these fraudulent shipments could damage his company's reputation.

Several durian farming area codes have also been misused by fraudsters, causing Chinese customs to even revoke some of them after detecting shipments contaminated with cadmium.

This has caused losses for the legitimate owners of the codes even though the shipments were not theirs.

The association has exhorted authorities to strengthen oversight and punish violators.

It also called for creating a database to help manage farming area and packaging facility codes and improve transparency and product traceability.

Publicizing the list of legitimate entities and information about violations would also deter fraud, it added.

Vietnam should also work with importing countries to prevent violations, it said.

Durian exports are expected to top US$3.2 billion this year, up 40% from 2023, and continue rising next year as processed durian products, which fetch a higher value than fresh fruits, enter the Chinese market.

Vietnam has around 154,000 hectares under durian and produces 1.2 million tons of the fruit annually.