HANOI: India temporarily suspended the entry of coffee beans, bamboo, black pepper, cinnamon, cassia and dragon fruit from Vietnam with immediate effect due to “repeated interception of quarantine pests”.
The decision comes close on the heels of Vietnam announcing that it would suspend import of peanuts, cassia seed, cocoa beans, haricot beans and tamarind from India after 60 days, starting March 1.
In a letter issued this week by the Agriculture Ministry to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Indian government said that “in view of the repeated interception of quarantine pests, the NPPO India is constrained to suspend the entry” of the commodities.
NPPO, Vietnam has been requested not to issue phyto-sanitary certificates for these six commodities for export to India.
While there is no direct connection between the two suspension orders, it is common for a country to become less tolerant towards its trading partner if its interests are continuously hurt.
Vietnam had earlier suspended imports of peanuts from India in April 2015. The ban was lifted in January 2016 after a Vietnamese delegation visited India and inspected fumigation facilities, export procedures and export certification systems.
According to Vietnam’s statement on the recent ban on five products, the decision was taken following the discovery of live insects in about 3,000 tons of peanuts, 24 tons of cassia alata seeds bought from India last year and earlier this year.
