Officers of Huu Nghi International Border Gate Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) screen cargo containers by a mobile scanner. Photo: H.N

Efficiency in customs clearance capacity

Lang Son province has the potential and strength for the development of logistics services due to its important bridge of the Nanning (China) - Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor, and is also the gateway connecting China with ASEAN member states and vice versa.

Additionally, the province has diverse border gate system, including Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Dong Dang International Railway Station Border Gate; one main border gate (Chi Ma Border Gate), nine sub-border gates and border market pairs, which have created conditions for the province to become an important import-export exchange point of the whole country.

Over the past years, along with the development of import-export activities across border gates in the area, Lang Son province has called on enterprises to invest in and provide logistics services. Thanks to that, import-export activities have seen favorable, smooth and effective operation.

Currently, there are 39 enterprises investing in warehouse services for storing goods and parking lots in the border gate area. Of which, enterprises have invested in building 28 warehouses for storing goods at the border gates (8 cold storage warehouses and 20 dry warehouses).

At the border gate areas in the province, enterprises have invested in building 23 parking lots at the border gates to serve vehicles transporting import and export cargo across border gates.

Notably, the goods storage services, parking lots and stations at the border gates have basically been invested in and built to ensure technical standards and safe circulation of goods under regulations, thereby meeting the needs of importers and exporters.

Speaking with Customs Magazine, Manager of Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) Ha Thi Kim Dung said that the capacity of customs clearance at Huu Nghi International Border Gate has increased more than twice compared to the previous period. Sometime, over 1,300 vehicles transporting import and export goods have been cleared per day. Statistics from the Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board show that the customs clearance capacity at Huu Nghi International Border Gate reaches 1,000-1,300 vehicles/day; Tan Thanh Border Gate reaches 600-700 vehicles/day; Chi Ma Border Gate reaches an average of 600 vehicles/day. At Dong Dang International Railway Station Border Gate, it can reach 120 freight cars/day.

Data in the first nine months of 2024 showed that the border gate economy in Lang Son province has developed positively, import-export activities are maintained stably at five border gates and two specialized roads for customs clearance with high efficiency (average of about 1,300 vehicles/day, and up to about 1,500 vehicles/day at peak time).

The total import-export turnover of all types of goods across Lang Son province grew 29.5% year-on-year to US$46,362.2 million.

Only the turnover of goods declared at Lang Son Customs Department in the first nine months of the year increased by 10.4% year-on-year to US$4,005 million. Of which, exports reached US$1,874.1 million, down 8.5% and imports at US$2,130.8 million, up 34.9% compared to the same period in 2023.

Striving to become a large-scale and modern logistics center

With the goal of forming a large-scale logistics center, promoting cross-border trade, Lang Son province has directed relevant departments, branches and agencies to promote investment attraction, construction and upgrading of infrastructure for logistics activities.

Accordingly, since 2022, the province has implemented the Digital Border Gate Platform and regularly upgraded the system, contributing to the modernization of the border gate area, saving time and costs for businesses.

At the same time, Lang Son province also encourages logistics operators to promote digital transformation and apply technical advances in supply chain management and operation.

Motivated by determination and expectations, Lang Son province will soon become a modern logistics center. Notably, in order for strong and sustainable development of logistics, Lang Son province works with investors to promote investment in logistics infrastructure.

For example, the province calls for investment in Lang Son dry port project with a scale of 75 hectares, located in the duty-free zone. At the same time, the province also speeds up the progress of important logistics projects such as the cargo transit area, export processing zone No.1, technical infrastructure and Phuc Khang factory in the duty-free zone.

The province also focuses on completing the pilot project to build a smart border gate on the specialized road for transporting goods at the Huu Nghi (Vietnam) - Huu Nghi Quan (China) International Border Gate pair.

Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department Nguyen Anh Tai said that the quality of import-export freight and customs services of Lang Son province is increasingly improved, in line with the needs of cargo owners, domestic enterprises and Chinese partners.

With the achievements over the past time, it is expected that in the near future, enterprises will save more time, reduce work pressure and costs in the context of increasingly vibrant import-export activities and increasing volume of goods, Deputy Director Nguyen Anh Tai emphasized.

Doan Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee affirmed that in the near future, Lang Son will continue to support logistics enterprises to improve the effectiveness of import-export activities across border gates in the area, contributing to the construction and promotion of logistics services nationwide.

Lang Son province will focus on attracting investment and completing logistics infrastructure by reviewing planning and plans, ensuring the synchronization of traffic infrastructure and transportation services; upgrading border belt roads and roads to border gates in the province to connect traffic, contributing to enhancing competitiveness and developing logistics services.

Lang Son province will accelerate the completion of the Chi Lang-Huu Nghi expressway and the Dong Dang-Bang Tuong international railway...; promote administrative reform, improve the investment and business environment to facilitate investment attraction and customs clearance of import and export goods.