Chinese produce still on sale in locally grown disguise Tuoitrenews A market-goer chooses garlic and ginger at a store in a market in Ho Chi Minh City June 23, 2013. Tuoi Tre A woman pushes a trolley of imported Chinese fruits at the Lao Cai border gate in Lao Cai June 23, 2013. Tuoi Tre Chinese produce of all types has seemingly vanished at markets across Ho Chi Minh City, with most traders claiming that they only sell products from Da Lat and the Mekong Delta, while the goods are actually of Chinese origin. Hoang, a market-goer who frequents Ba Chieu and Tan Dinh markets, said she cannot find any Chinese produce on sale at these locations. “The traders insist that their ginger is grown in Tien Giang Province, while I know for sure they are imported from China,” she said. As for other produce, from onion and garlic to cabbage and tomato, traders always claim they are products of Da Lat, Soc Trang, or Tien Giang. Another trick used to cover their sales of Chinese produce is to say they are imported from any country but China. For instance, while 90 percent of the citrus imported to Vietnam comes from China, what is sold to local consumers, according to traders, is ‘Thai citrus’. “The fruit is imported in cartons with labels bearing some information in Chinese, but traders only need to remove all of this packaging, and tell customers that they are from Thailand,” revealed Tran Phuong, a fruit wholesaler in the city. A similar method is applied to all other Chinese produce, which enables traders to sell the goods under the disguise of locally grown products, he added. Huge imports Vietnam imported US$8.58 million worth of fruit and vegetables from China in the first five months of this year, according to the General Customs Department. The total import turnovers of Chinese agricultural products in five months are as high as $48.87 million, down by $3.5 million compared to the same period last year, but up by $7 million compared to 2011, the department said. The products are mostly imported via the northern border gates, and via the seaports in HCMC, with Cat Lai Port receiving most of the shipments. The port’s customs agency said last year the facility received more than 8,630 tons of Chinese potatoes, 13,000 tons of garlic, and 3,000 tons of ginger. The import volumes of Chinese carrot and apple were 27,159 tons and 37,061 tons, respectively. At Thu Duc market, where imported produce is gathered before it is distributed to small markets citywide and other provinces, Chinese products still arrive in huge quantities on a daily basis. The market’s management board said it imported 15 tons of Chinese apple and five tons of pear on June 18. The daily amounts of imported Chinese garlic and ginger are 20 tons and five tons, respectively. The city’s supermarkets meanwhile asserted that they no longer source Chinese produce. Big C said mushroom is the only type of Chinese produce that is still on sale in its system, yet in a modest quantity. Saigon Co.op also asserted that supermarkets under its chain are not selling any Chinese fruits or vegetables.