First Vietnamese milk firm approved for exports to China

Vinamilk products are displayed for sale at a Fivimart supermarket in Hanoi, Vietnam, October 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

HANOI - Vietnam's largest dairy firm Vinamilk has got the green-light to officially export its milk products to China, the company told Xinhua on Wednesday.

"During the president's Chinese visit, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese firms to supply the products in the neighboring market," Vinamilk's spokesperson said.

Agreements on facilitating imports of Vietnamese farm products, including milk, is an important achievement of President Tran Dai Quang's visit to China from May 11 to May 15, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung told local media earlier this week.

"We are eager to serve the Chinese customers with our finest products," a representative of Vinamilk's external affairs department told Xinhua.

With Vinamilk's granted access, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Dairy Association Vu Ngoc Quynh optimistically viewed that more firms can achieve the same success.

"Now the long-awaited door has opened, it's time for local enterprises to strive toward Chinese market entrance criteria," said Quynh.

Vinamilk is Vietnamese's No 1 dairy firm and one of the world's 50 largest milk companies in terms of revenue. In 2016, its export turnover stood at some $258 million.