The fine decision was signed by chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Hai on August 29.
Binh Thuan currently has over 26,000 hectares of dragon fruit farms, accounting for 80% of the country’s total dragon fruit area and output
He Zang, 33, and Zhang HongBin, 31, were fined VND20 million (USD909) each for the purchase of dragon fruits in Ham Thuan Nam District.
According to Decree 167, any foreigner who enters Vietnam must have permission to engage in commerce.
Earlier, police in Binh Thuan ever found many Chinese people who had entered Vietnam on tourist visas to buy dragon fruit.
The provincial Migration Management Office shortened the duration of stay in Vietnam for those committing administrative violations for the first time. Those who repeat the offence will be banned from entering Vietnam for a certain duration.
Many major dragon fruit wholesalers that trade dragon fruit are located in the districts of Ham Thuan Nam and Ham Thuan Bac. They are owned and operated by Vietnamese residents, but backed by Chinese nationals behind the scenes.
Binh Thuan currently has over 26,000 hectares of dragon fruit farms, accounting for 80% of the country’s total dragon fruit area and output.
Currently, only about 15-20% of the dragon fruit output is sold in the Vietnamese market, while the majority is exported to China via unofficial trade.