Tan Thanh Customs officers supervise imported machinery and equipment for loading. Photo: H.Nu

Goods leave the port in droves

Arriving in Lang Son with only about 1 month left until the end of 2024 and 2 months left until the Lunar New Year 2025, Customs Magazine reporters chose Tan Thanh secondary border gate as their first destination. Just arriving at Pac Luong intersection, the familiar sound echoing from the cliffs is the movement of trailers, the cold running sound of containers mixed together to create a joyful and vibrant atmosphere.

It can be seen that since the dedicated road for transporting goods in the area of ​​landmark 1088/2-1089; Tan Thanh - Po Chai customs clearance (area of ​​landmark 1090-1091); Coc Nam - Lung Nghiu customs clearance (area of ​​landmarks 1104 -1105) belonging to Huu Nghi (Vietnam) - Huu Nghi Quan (China) international border gate pair was officially announced by the authorities of Lang Son (Vietnam) and Guangxi (China) in May 2024 as an additional motivation for businesses to actively increase import and export activities of goods.

Receiving us at the customs clearance location in the cargo yard of Bao Nguyen Company Limited, Mr. Nong Quang Hung, Deputy Head of Tan Thanh Border Gate Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) said that since the dedicated road for transporting goods in the area of ​​landmark 1088/2-1089 officially belonged to Huu Nghi - Huu Nghi Quan international border gate, in addition to traditional goods such as agricultural products, fruits, fresh fruits, Tan Thanh border gate has diversified imported goods with high tax rates such as cars, semi-trailers, auto parts, motorbikes, consumer goods, etc.

Mr. Nong Quang Hung happily shared that in the first 11 months of the year, the import and export turnover of goods through Tan Thanh border gate increased sharply, of which, the majority were agricultural products, fruits, fresh fruits. Currently, the unit is receiving and processing procedures for 75,264 sets of declarations with a total turnover of 1,096.8 million USD, an increase of 16% over the same period in 2023, an increase of 91.6% over the same period in 2023. In addition, the number of means of transport in the year also reached 119,419 trips and the fee collection according to the Resolution of the People's Committee of Lang Son province reached nearly 100 billion VND, an increase of 27% over the same period in 2023.

Notably, since May, the diversification of imported goods with high tax rates has helped the state budget collection through Tan Thanh border gate reach an impressive figure of nearly 666 billion VND, equal to 121% of the target and an increase of 2,839% over the same period in 2023. Only the revenue from high tax rate items such as cars, tillers, semi-trailers trailer reached 329.5 billion VND.

Leaving Tan Thanh border gate, we arrived at Huu Nghi international border gate when the sun was turning to afternoon. From Dong Dang town, cargo trucks lined up closely to gradually enter the border gate area to complete export procedures, further affirming that Huu Nghi international border gate is the largest road trading border gate in Lang Son province. In recent times, import and export activities at Huu Nghi international border gate have been strongly promoted, an average of 800-1,000 vehicles are cleared each day, of which about 300 vehicles carry export goods; about 700 vehicles carry import goods.

By the end of November 2024, the import and export turnover of goods through Huu Nghi international border gate reached more than 3.1 billion USD, an increase of 9.5% over the same period in 2023; In which, the main import and export items through the border gate are: machinery, industrial equipment, electronic components, household goods, automobiles of all kinds, agricultural products, chemical products, common metals, etc.

Deputy Head of Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Sub-department Tran Van Nghia said that to achieve the above results, Huu Nghi Customs regularly coordinates closely and effectively with forces and functional agencies at the border gate area in resolving issues related to import and export goods, regulating vehicles, as well as ensuring security and order at the border gate area. In addition, information technology is actively applied to handling customs clearance procedures. Accordingly, as of November 15, 2024, the unit has collected VND 4,923.9 billion for the State budget, equal to 113.06% of the assigned target, an increase of 30% over the same period in 2023.

Driving force for border gate economic development

Positive signals in the trade of goods at the border gates are not only a driving force for the business community but also a driving force for Lang Son province in the goal of implementing the development of the border gate economy according to the orientation in Decision No. 1371/QD-TTg dated November 13, 2024 promulgating the Plan to implement the Planning of Lang Son province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

In an interview with a reporter from Customs Magazine, Mr. Ho Tien Thieu, Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee, said that in 2024, the trade of import and export goods through border gates in Lang Son province is making great strides. In particular, the event of operating customs clearance routes and specialized routes for transporting goods at Huu Nghi - Huu Nghi Quan border gate pair is an important milestone, creating more conditions for the import and export goods of enterprises of the two countries Vietnam - China to continue to be maintained stably; promoting the pilot implementation of building Smart Border Gates; continuing to support Lang Son to promote its role as a bridge and gateway for trade in the ASEAN - China free trade area.

In order to create maximum favorable conditions for import and export activities of goods through border gates in the province, especially at the end of the year, Mr. Ho Tien Thieu said that Lang Son province has been focusing on synchronously and effectively implementing many solutions to promote trade of goods at border gates. Along with that, the province regularly strengthens exchanges with the Chinese side to agree on measures to promote import and export activities of goods through border gates, agreeing to extend customs clearance time to meet the trading needs of enterprises.

Mr. Ho Tien Thieu emphasized the goal of developing the border gate economy, in addition to the efforts of the entire political system of Lang Son province, there is the companionship of the import-export business community and wharf business enterprises to join hands in building and developing border trade, contributing to meeting the production and consumption needs of the people of Vietnam and China at present and in the future.

Lang Son province aims that by 2025, Huu Nghi international border gate will become a model border gate, Tan Thanh border gate will play the role of an agricultural trade center, an important economic, trade, service and tourism zone of the province. The Dong Dang international railway line will become a highly competitive long-distance transport route based on smart and modern logistics and support services, commensurate with the development of railway services in ASEAN countries, etc, Mr. Ho Tien Thieu expected.

Leaving Lang Son when night had fallen, although the cold of the border area made it feel colder and colder, at the inter-sectoral headquarters, customs officers were still diligently processing declarations and import-export procedures for businesses. In the distance, on the road leading to Huu Nghi international border gate, Tan Thanh border gate, etc, trucks and containers were still moving and we believe that the expectations of Lang Son province's leaders in the future will soon come true.