To avoid long-term congestion at the border gate, the People's Committee of Lang Son province asked businesses to regularly update information and the import and export situation at the border gate to actively bring goods to the border gate.

Trucks of agricultural products are stuck at Tan Thanh border gate. Photo: H. Nu

China is currently Vietnam's largest vegetable and fruit import market, and also the third largest fruit and vegetable import market in the world. In the first seven months of 2021, Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery exports to this market gained nearly US$5.5 billion, of which vegetables and fruit accounted for 26.9%.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the export of some agricultural products and fruit to this market is currently interrupted.

The People's Committee of Lang Son province said over 700 trucks carrying fresh fruit for export are stuck at Tan Thanh border gate and about 200 trucks are waiting outside the border gate. Meanwhile, the clearance capacity of this item is only about 100-130 trucks per day on average. For example, on August 2, only 97 trucks were cleared, down 60-70% over the same period last year; hundreds of trucks are stuck in yards, mainly carrying dragon fruit.

Slow customs clearance is due to disinfection and Covid-19 pandemic prevention measures and the Chinese side has temporarily stopped receiving Vietnamese export trucks into a yard in the ASEAN Fruit Center (Po Cha, China) since July 30.

As for the Huu Nghi international border gate, the cargo congestion is also taking place as the Chinese side has strengthened pandemic prevention and control.

There are hundreds of container trucks gathered at parking lots along National Highway 1A (the section from Lang Son city to Huu Nghi border gate, Tan Thanh) to wait for customs clearance.

Faced with this situation, the People's Committee of Lang Son province has asked the authorities to work together to regulate, channel and arrange trucks suitably to minimize costs for people and businesses and ensure travel at the border gate area.

At the same time, the People's Committee has requested relevant units and agencies to continue monitoring and updating information on the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic of the Guangxi’s authorities, China, to actively notify businesses and work with them to solve problems and support them in exporting fresh fruit.

The People's Committee of Lang Son province has also required associations and businesses that are currently carrying out procedures for exporting agricultural products through Lang Son border gates to regularly update information, import and export situation at border gates and regulations on pandemic prevention and control to proactively make export plans to avoid congestion and economic losses.

Moreover, the People's Committee of Lang Son province has also suggested that the provincial and municipal departments of industry and trade should ask traders and farmers to comply with regulations on pandemic prevention in the process of collecting, processing and preserving goods when brought to the border gate. Drivers all must have Covid-19 negative tests and are given priority to be vaccinated.

Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department Vy Cong Tuong said to further support, create favorable conditions, remove difficulties and obstacles for exporters of dragon fruit through border gates in Lang Son province, the unit has also requested Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh border gate Customs branches to arrange customs officials to receive and process dossiers and expedite customs clearance of shipments, especially agricultural products and fresh fruit to avoid raising costs, time and minimising losses for businesses and work with other authorities such as traffic police and border guards to channel and avoiding congestion.

In addition, border-gate customs units are required to regularly grasp customs clearance of agricultural products and fresh fruit at border gates as well as the clearance capacity and import needs of the Chinese side to actively offer solutions to improve customs clearance capacity and notify businesses and traders.