Agricultural products likened to ‘white gold’ will have the opportunity to export billions of dollars to China

Bird’s nest is likened to “white gold” that has just been approved for official export to the Chinese market. With an abundant source of domestic bird’s nest raw materials with about 200 tons per year, Vietnam is having the opportunity to export billions of dollars of official bird’s nest products to China.

With an abundant source of domestic bird’s nest raw materials with about 200 tons per year, Vietnam is having the opportunity to export billions of dollars of official bird’s nest products to China. (Illustration)

According to statistics from the Vietnam Bird’s Nest Association, in the period of 2022 – 2023, although it has not been officially exported, the total export turnover of bird’s nests, the export value of bird’s nests will reach about 300 million USD/year. The protocol just signed will open up room for value addition but also require businesses to meet higher standards.

In the 4 protocols that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam has signed with the General Department of Customs of China recently, there will be more agricultural products from Vietnam exported to this country. In addition to chili, passion fruit, and rice bran, there are also raw bird’s nests and clean bird’s nests.

In mid-April 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) approved a friendly consultation on quarantine, inspection and veterinary hygiene requirements for the import of raw and clean bird’s nests from Vietnam to China.

With an abundant source of domestic bird’s nest raw materials with about 200 tons per year, Vietnam is having the opportunity to export billions of dollars of official bird’s nest products to China.

The official export of bird’s nest products to the Chinese market will increase the value of Vietnam’s bird’s nest. In many localities, preparations have been made to expand the market, in particular, bird’s nest farming households have actively linked with businesses to ensure that raw material standards are met.

The official export of bird’s nest products to the Chinese market will increase the value of Vietnam’s bird’s nest. In many localities, preparations have been made to expand the market, in particular, bird’s nest farming households have actively linked with businesses to ensure that raw material standards are met. (Illustration)

In order to officially export raw bird’s nest to the Chinese market, businesses must meet strict requirements from this market. Accordingly, raw bird’s nest processing facilities and clean bird’s nest processing facilities exported to China must be registered with GACC.

The production and processing of raw bird’s nest and clean bird’s nest for export to China must meet relevant regulations of Vietnam and China on quarantine, inspection and food safety. Raw bird’s nests and clean bird’s nests exported to China must be heat treated to reach a product center temperature not lower than 70°C and maintained for at least 3.6 seconds to ensure effective eradication of avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses.

Establishments that preliminarily process raw bird’s nests and process clean bird’s nests for export to China must have appropriate production capacity or must have equipment and tools suitable to the type and quantity of products. At the same time, arrange reasonable production equipment and flowcharts to prevent cross-infection; there must be an effective management system to prevent epidemics and ensure product safety and hygiene as well as corresponding equipment and tools.

Raw bird’s nest and clean bird’s nest exported to China must be packed with new materials, in accordance with international hygiene standards. The inner and outer packaging of the product must be sealed.

The outer packaging of the raw bird’s nest must clearly state the name and weight of the product, the registration number of the bird’s nest farm, the name and address, the registration number of the preliminary processing establishment, the storage conditions, the date of production, and the expiration date in Chinese and English. The outer packaging must clearly state “Export to the People’s Republic of China” and “For processing only, not for retail” and other relevant information.

The inner and outer packaging of the clean bird’s nest must clearly state the name and weight of the product; registration number of the bird’s nest farm; name, address and registration number of the processing establishment; storage conditions, production date, expiration date, other relevant information in Chinese and English, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, standards and requirements of China, etc.

Establishments that preliminarily process raw bird’s nests and process clean bird’s nests for export to China must have appropriate production capacity or must have equipment and tools suitable to the type and quantity of products. (Illustration)

China is currently the largest market for bird’s nest consumption, accounting for 80% of worldwide consumption. With an abundant source of domestic bird’s nest raw materials with about 200 tons per year, Vietnam is having the opportunity to export billions of dollars of official bird’s nest products to China. In order to officially export raw bird’s nest and clean bird’s nest to the Chinese market, businesses must meet strict requirements from this market.

China’s official permission to import raw bird’s nest products from Vietnam has created a lot of opportunities for Vietnam’s bird’s nest breeding industry and bird’s nest production and processing./.