Operations at Thanh Thuy International Border Gate (Ha Giang). Photo: N.Linh

Instability of import and export at international border gates

According to Ha Giang Customs Department, in the first six months of the year, import and export activities mainly took place at Tuyen Quang Customs Branch, and significantly reduced at Thanh Thuy International Border Gate Customs Branch, the import value, as well as budget revenue, reached a record low compared to the same period in 2021.

The reason is that at border gates in Ha Giang province, the Chinese side regularly improves the level of prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic, so import and export activities are temporarily suspended. The number of border-crossing means of transport and customs clearance of exported goods tends to decrease at Thanh Thuy international border gate and there are no import-export goods at other border gates.

According to Ha Giang Customs Department, at the international border gate of Thanh Thuy - Thien Bao, there were almost no import-export goods in the first months of the year. The number of goods decreased, leading to low revenue in the period.

From May 8, 2022, import-export activities have been resumed with China, but the number of imported and exported goods is still insignificant.

In June 2022, revenue from a number of items such as electrical energy was VND5.2 billion; concrete pump cars VND2.99 billion; auto parts VND1.91 billion; specialized machinery (automobiles, cranes) VND2.91 billion; and hydroelectric machinery and equipment VND0.68 billion.

In the Tuyen Quang area, state budget revenue declined by 5.9% year-on-year. In the months after the Lunar New Year, factories and enterprises in the area sometimes temporarily suspended operations because their workers were infected with Covid-19 and could not participate in production, so enterprises reduced their import and export activities, leading to low revenue.

Import and export turnover drops

According to Ha Giang Customs Department, the total value of import-export turnover dropped 30.7% to US$142 million year-on-year (US$203.9 million). Of which, in Ha Giang province, the turnover plunged 82.1% to US$22.1million compared to the same period last year (US$123.5 million); meanwhile Tuyen Quang province reported an increase of 48.4% to US$119.3 million compared to the same period last year (US$80.4 million)

Specifically, the turnover of business exports reached US$81.4 million, down 41.6% over the same period last year (US$139.5 million). In particular, the main export items included: metal ANTIMON, dried yellow tea, dried tapioca starch, peeled boards, clothes of all kinds, base paper, wooden chopsticks, PP packaging, plywood, wood for flooring, tea, earphones, Antimon ingots.

Import turnover recorded US$59.9 million, up 27.4% over the same period last year (US$47 million). The main imported items included electric energy (arising from June 2022), hydroelectric equipment, wheeled cranes, concrete pumping cars, coke, machinery and equipment, and chemicals, paper pulp, refractory material, fabric, sewing thread, instruction label, button buckle, glue, adhesive tape, plastic beads, circuit board, headphone jack pin, veneer, earphone speaker, and galvanized steel wire zinc.