The representatives of the New Zealand Embassy to Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Vietnam signed an agreement to establish an electronic certificate (e-Cert) for food and agricultural products via Vietnam’s National Single Window, which is the first e-Cert for food and agriculture products between the two countries.
e-Cert is the direct digital transfer of agreed information between government agencies in different countries to facilitate the border clearance of agri-food products. Complex global supply chains trade, especially during the COVID-19 era, and advances in technology have facilitate transfer of information via electronic means, which reduce costs, increase reliability and transparency, and reduce potential for falsification in agri-food trade.
New Zealand has been a world leader in electronic certification for over 20 years. New Zealand has successfully implemented e-Cert with several trade partners, with an increasing focus on the ASEAN. This year, New Zealand and Vietnam celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations. Since the establishment of New Zealand’s Comprehensive Partnership with Vietnam in 2009, there has been steady growth in bilateral trade, especially since the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) came into force in 2010.
(Source: Vietnam Investment Review)