The Complete Guide to Japan Import Procedures for Vietnamese Fruit

You want to import fruit from Vietnam to Japan but don't know where to start — many import managers have this worry.

The wall of plant quarantine, fumigation and vapor-heat-treatment requirements, and a complex tariff system. Proceeding without understanding them correctly carries the risk of being held up at customs.

This article explains the whole procedure for importing Vietnamese fruit into Japan, following the practical workflow.

Overview of importing Vietnamese fruit

Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's leading agricultural power. As a producer of tropical fruits such as mango, banana, dragon fruit, lychee, and rambutan, it is raising its presence in international markets.

Japan's imports of Vietnamese fruit expand year by year, and as of 2023 Vietnam is among the top 10 source countries for fresh and chilled fruit.

However, the items that can be imported are limited. Because there are regulations under Japan's Plant Protection Act, not all fruit can be imported freely. First, keep in mind that the conditions differ by item.

What is plant quarantine — and why is it necessary?

Plant quarantine is a system to prevent pests and diseases from abroad from entering the country. It is administered by the Plant Protection Stations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which inspect imported plants and plant products.

Vietnam is home to many pests that do not exist in Japan. Fruit flies (such as the Oriental fruit fly) are a prime example; they lay eggs in the flesh of fruit, and the larvae grow inside.

If such pests entered Japan, the damage to agriculture could be enormous. Plant quarantine functions as this "border defense."

Prohibited items and importable items

Japan's Plant Protection Act prohibits the import of certain items from certain countries and regions.

For Vietnamese fruit, import conditions are set for each item.

Import eligibility and conditions can be checked in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Plant Quarantine Database." Entering the item and country of origin displays the latest conditions.

The difference between fumigation and vapor heat treatment

The requirement that most often becomes an issue in fruit imports is pest-control treatment. It is broadly divided into two types: "fumigation" and "vapor heat treatment."

Fumigation

Fumigation is a method of filling a sealed space with gases such as methyl bromide or phosphine to exterminate pests.

Treatment time varies with conditions, but for methyl bromide fumigation, combinations of temperature, concentration, and time are specified. For example, maintaining a set concentration for two hours or more in an environment of 21°C or higher.

However, because methyl bromide is an ozone-depleting substance, its use is internationally regulated. A shift to alternative treatments is advancing worldwide.

Vapor heat treatment (VHT)

Vapor heat treatment is a method of keeping the core temperature of the fruit above a certain level with high-temperature steam to kill pests. It is widely adopted for mango and dragon fruit.

A representative condition is maintaining a fruit-core temperature of 46.5°C or higher for 10 minutes or more. Meeting this condition kills the larvae and eggs of fruit flies.

Compared with fumigation, it causes less damage to the fruit and carries no risk of pesticide residue, so in recent years vapor heat treatment is becoming the mainstream.

Treatment facilities in Vietnam

Vapor heat treatment and fumigation must be carried out at facilities in Vietnam approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Approved facilities are updated from time to time, so checking the latest list before export is important. Even if treatment is done at a non-approved facility, it will not be accepted by Japan's Plant Protection Stations.

Tariff basics and practical points

When importing fruit, understanding tariffs is indispensable alongside plant quarantine.

Fruit tariff rates

Japan's fruit tariffs differ by item. The main rates for fresh fruit are as follows.

By using either the ASEAN–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) or the Japan–Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement (JVEPA), tariff rates can be reduced significantly.

Certificate of origin for using an EPA

To use an EPA, a specific certificate of origin (Form D or Form VJ) issued by Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) is required.

To obtain the certificate, the exporter applies to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade or an authorized body. It often takes several days to be issued, so schedule management is important.

The practical customs-clearance workflow

Import work consists of many steps. Here we organize the customs clearance of Vietnamese fruit along the actual flow.

Step 1: Pre-import checks

Check whether the item you want to import can even be imported into Japan. Search the item and country of origin in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' plant quarantine database to understand the import conditions.

For an item you are handling for the first time, prior consultation with a Plant Protection Station is also helpful.

Step 2: Export procedures on the Vietnamese side

The Vietnamese exporter obtains a phytosanitary certificate. This is issued by the Plant Protection Department (PPD) under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The certificate records the treatment method, treatment conditions, treatment-facility name, and so on. If the entries are deficient, it will not be accepted on the Japanese side, so confirmation down to the details is necessary.

Step 3: Plant quarantine after arrival in Japan

When the cargo arrives in Japan, inspection by a Plant Protection Station is carried out. Both document review and physical inspection are performed.

If there is no problem in inspection, a certificate of "inspection pass" is issued. If a problem is detected, the goods are destroyed or reshipped (returned).

Inspection usually takes one to three business days, but it may vary during busy periods or when import volumes are large.

Step 4: Customs declaration and import permission

After passing the Plant Protection Station, you make an import declaration to customs. The required documents are as follows.

• Invoice (commercial invoice)
• Packing list
• Bill of lading (B/L) or air waybill (AWB)
• Phytosanitary certificate
• Certificate of origin (when using an EPA)
• Import declaration form

After paying the tariff and consumption tax, import permission is granted and customs clearance is complete.

Step 5: Food Sanitation Act inspection

Because fruit falls under food, inspection under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Food Sanitation Act is also required. A notification is filed with the ministry's quarantine station (FORTH), and matters such as pesticide-residue standards are checked.

If pesticide residues exceed the standard values, the goods are reshipped or destroyed. It is important to grasp the pesticide-use situation of Vietnamese farmers in advance and to require appropriate management.

Breakdown of import costs and profitability management

Fruit imports incur a wide range of costs. Let's organize the main cost items.

Air transport is excellent for preserving freshness, but its cost is often more than 5 to 10 times that of sea transport. Choosing a transport method that balances the item's rate of freshness decline against its selling price is required.

Summary

Importing Vietnamese fruit into Japan is a complex process in which multiple regulations — plant quarantine, fumigation/vapor heat treatment, tariffs, and the Food Sanitation Act — are intertwined.

Let's organize the key points.

• Import eligibility and treatment conditions differ by item. Always check in advance in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' database
• Vapor heat treatment is the mainstay against fruit flies. Carrying it out at an approved facility is essential
• Using an EPA (JVEPA or AJCEP) can bring tariffs to zero or reduce them
• Customs clearance proceeds in the order of plant quarantine, then customs declaration, then Food Sanitation Act inspection
• For pesticide-residue management, take preventive measures in cooperation with Vietnamese producers

For your first import, we recommend making active use of customs brokers and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' consultation desks. With the support of an experienced broker, you can greatly reduce the risks.

At VN AGRI, we share the latest information on Vietnamese agriculture.

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