Mojito and Corona lovers rejoice - PM’s Vietnam trip opens door for more limes to New Zealand

Limes were the winners of the day on the PM’s trade delegation to Vietnam after New Zealand opened the gate to allow Vietnam to export them to New Zealand.

Ardern has spent the past two days in Vietnam, including meeting Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to discuss ways to boost the trading relationship.

Only rude guests arrive without a gift - and for Ardern that came in the form of granting Vietnam’s wish to be able to send limes and pomelos to the goods it exports to New Zealand.

Ardern said Vietnam had made it clear limes and pomelo were priority products and it wanted access to New Zealand markets as trade between the two countries notches up. New Zealand’s strict biosecurity measures had been knuckled out, and the green light was formally given for the fruit known as “green gold”.

Ardern said the move would fill the seasonal gap in New Zealand - making limes available and hopefully more affordable throughout the year for New Zealand consumers. She said she had just checked the prices in New Zealand: “At present, hey’re $39 a kilo at New World. There’s a reason they’re called green gold.”

Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, who signed off on the agreement at an agriculture event in Vietnam, said New Zealand needed robust standards to ensure it avoided fruit fly and other pests getting into New Zealand.

He said Vietnam appreciated that but the hurdles had been sorted.

“All those who prefer lime in their Corona will be able to access it this summer. So I’m sure some people will be very happy.”

The two countries began working on the issue early last year, when an agricultural cooperation agreement was signed. At the time it was hoped measures to be sure there was no biosecurity risk in it would be in place by the end of that year.

In return, New Zealand will be able to add squash and strawberries to the produce it already exports to Vietnam.

Previously, Vietnam only had licenses to export fresh mango, dragon fruit and rambutan to New Zealand.

New Zealand also exports blueberry, kiwfruit, apple, kiwi berry, cherry and persimmons.

New Zealand is known as “choosy” in Vietnam - and its trade agency has advised exporters to be careful about their food standards.

O’Connor said Vietnam’s population of 100 million people was also a big opportunity for New Zealand exporters.

New Zealand and Vietnam are part of the CPTPP and the Asean-Australia-NZ trade deals.

While it is New Zealand’s 15th largest trading partner, Ardern said it had a growing population and a growing middle class. “It’s a perfect environment for New Zealand products and you can see that in the growth we’ve seen in, for instance, kiwifruit and apples.”

“We may be a market of five million for limes, but in Vietnam that’s tens of millions of potential consumers for New Zealand products.”

On Monday after meeting with Ardern, Chinh referred to moves to make it easier to move products such as fruit across the borders - and said the countries should work hard to ensure the promise of free trade agreements was filled.

Ardern had said agriculture was a particularly strong point in the trading relationship - pointing to cooperation in areas such as food safety, assistance in develop a new dragon fruit variety for Vietnam, and New Zealand aid to repair and maintain Vietnam’s dams.

Ardern has voiced concern that some countries are resorting to protectionism in response to the war in Ukraine and the pressure it has put on energy and food security and costs.