A new European Union (EU) draft regulation is set to impose stricter maximum residue limits (MRLs) for several pesticide active ingredients, potentially affecting a wide range of Vietnamese agricultural exports—including cashews, spices and durian—starting February 2025.
On August 9, Dr. Ngô Xuân Nam, Deputy Director of Vietnam’s SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Notification and Enquiry Point, sent an official notice to the Plant Protection Department, the Department of Animal Health, the Vietnam Fruit & Vegetable Association and the Vietnam Beekeepers’ Association regarding the EU’s proposed changes.
According to the draft, depending on the product, the EU plans to drastically lower some existing MRLs—by as much as a thousand-fold—set new limits where none previously existed, and in a few cases slightly relax certain standards.
The proposal focuses on four active substances: Zoxamide, Acetamiprid, Fenbuconazole and Penconazole.
Key changes include:
-
Zoxamide: For leafy herbs such as lettuce and spinach, the permitted residue would drop from 30 ppm to 0.01 ppm, a 3,000-fold reduction.
-
Acetamiprid: The limit for bananas would fall from 0.4 ppm to 0.01 ppm; for melons, pumpkins and watermelons from 0.2 ppm to 0.08 ppm.
-
Fenbuconazole and Penconazole: For citrus fruits and tree nuts—including cashews and macadamias—the MRL would be set at 0.01 ppm. For rice the same 0.01 ppm limit would apply, while coffee, spices and honey would face a limit of 0.05 ppm.
Dr. Ngô Xuân Nam noted that these proposed MRL changes directly affect many key Vietnamese export products already sold in the EU market.
The SPS Vietnam Office has therefore urged all relevant agencies, associations and exporters to study the draft carefully, provide feedback and promptly inform farmers and businesses so they can monitor and control pesticide residues in line with the forthcoming EU requirements.