China Imposes Plant Quarantine Requirements on Indonesian Bananas, Vietnamese Sweet Potatoes

China recently imposed plant quarantine requirements on imports of certain sweet potatoes from Vietnam and certain fresh bananas from Indonesia, the General Administration of Customs announced, according to an unofficial translation. Exporting banana orchards and packaging plants must be registered with the Agricultural Quarantine Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia and jointly approved by China's customs agency. These orchards should also implement a quality management and traceability system, implement Good Agricultural Practices, maintain hygienic conditions and clean up fallen fruits in a timely manner, China said.

The same conditions apply to the imports of sweet potatoes from Vietnam, though the exporting sweet potato planting bases and processing centers must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, the notice said. The bases also should implement good agricultural practices under the supervision of the Vietnamese government.