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Identify exactly “insight” of the customer – needs – requirements of the export market
A food supplement with high sales in Vietnam is unlikely to be best-selling product in the US, Japan or neighboring countries and vice versa. According to Ph. Nguyen Xuan Hoang – Deputy Director, Vietnam Institute of Dietary supplements (VIDS): “One of the weaknesses of Vietnamese enterprises is that although they have participated in the world’s stage, they do not have the habit of getting information about the target market. For example, when you want to export food supplement to the US – one of the most lucrative but most difficult market in the world, businesses will face barriers of standards, norms and tastes of US consumer”.
“He who sees through life and death will meet with most success “! To be able to get to the US market and many others, businesses need to have full and effective investment to be able to identify the target market and taste of consumers in each country; The most important thing is allocation of the product / business in the new market. Businesses may contact their partners or the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry or the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade) to know specific country requirements for imported food supplements.
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Know the export procedures
Food supplements are products that are directly related to human health. Therefore, businesses that want to export food supplements must carry out customs procedures and specialized management procedures, in particular:
Customs procedures: Comply with regulations of the Finance Ministry – Circular No. 38/2015/TT-BTC approved on March 25, 2015, which regulates customs inspection and supervision; Export tax, import duty and tax administration for imported and exported goods.
Procedure in accordance with specialized management regulations: Point e, Clause 2, Article 20 of Decree No. 38/2012/ND-CP approved on April 25, 2012 which details a number of articles of the Law on Food Safety.
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Good Manufacturing Practices – Health supplements (GMP-HS)
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is a system of guidelines designed to assure product quality, reduce the risks in the production process that cannot be eliminated through final product testing.
For businesses that want to encroach into the international market, obey the principle of GMP-HS is the wise choice to assert quality. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Truyen, former Vice Minister of Health, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Functional Foods, “GMP is a ‘passport’ for Food supplement to be exported smoothly. In many other countries, GMP has become mandatory. ”
In Vietnam, Au Co is the first and only company that achieves the Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate on Food supplements (GMP-HS) issued by Vietnam Association of Functional Foods. Au Co is proud to be a reliable and trusted partner for all enterprises operating in the field of food supplements in Vietnam who want to affirm quality of their product to reach the international market.
Besides GMP, GACP, HACCP, ISO standards and other equivalent standards will be the key to Vietnam’s food supplements companies to penetrate into these potential markets.
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Constantly updated, ready to change
Enterprises should update the regulations on labeling, active ingredients (active ingredients are banned, active ingredients can be used and their doses …), announced, selected materials … of their target countries to reduce the risk of being rejected, refused.
According to Ph. Nguyen Xuan Hoang, TPP will force food supplement companies to change vigorously: “Currently, the food supplement companies in our country are importing a large proportion of raw materials, herbs, packaging, machineries… from China. With tariff incentives (with 90% reduction in tariff lines) on products (including raw materials) from TPP countries, Vietnam companies will have a plan to minimize its dependence on China as it is today. Especially Vietnam has abundant sources of raw materials and medicinal plants for production of food supplements. ”
Leaving the current habits, backward thinking, it’s a big challenge for businesses, but if they can do, the export of food supplements to the hard market will be reached.