Huu Nghi Customs assigned officers to work 24 hours per day to clear goods for businesses. Photo: H. Nu

Bustling in the "green zone" of the border gate

In the early days of November, the route from Dong Dang to Huu Nghi international border gate was full of containers.

According to the report of the People's Committee of Lang Son province, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the import and export of goods at the border gates of Lang Son province. However, with the participation of agencies and departments, up to this point, Lang Son ensures customs clearance of import and export goods at four of 12 key border gate pairs.

The total import-export turnover in the ten months rose 52.7% year-on-year to US$3,450 million, of which exports rose 11.2% to US$1,090 million and imports rose 84.4% to US$2,360 million. In October alone, the province witnessed US$390 million in trade.

Lang Son border gate received 300,000 entry and exit vehicles between January and October.

A representative of Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) said that despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, import and export activities through the Huu Nghi (Vietnam) - Huu Nghi Quan (China) border gate pair is increasing.

The number of vehicles leaving or arriving at the border gate pairs is up to 800 vehicles per day, even 1,000 vehicles per day in the peak period. From early in the year, the customs branch here handled 32,906 sets of declarations with a value of nearly US$2 billion. Huu Ngi Customs Branch has carried out procedures for 518,964 vehicles on entry and exit.

At Tan Thanh border gate, from early morning, the volume of goods gathered at Bao Nguyen parking lot has reached 500 trucks. Mr. Mai Hoang Dung, a driver carrying agricultural products from Binh Dinh, said that despite the pandemic, he still regularly brought goods to Tan Thanh border gate to complete export procedures to China.

On the same day, the truck was cleared quickly by the competent forces at the border gate. Measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic were strictly conducted. When the truck arrived at the border gate, it was sprayed with disinfectant, and the specialized drivers at the border gate receive the truck to bring goods across the border.

At Chi Ma border gate, even though it was past noon, a lot of businesses were visiting the Customs office to carry out customs clearance procedures. According to a representative of Chi Ma border gate Customs Branch, after the Government issued Resolution 128/NQ-CP stipulating "Safe adaptation, flexibility, effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic", the unit implemented many solutions to create favourable conditions for import and export activities.

Flexible to implement solutions

A representative of the Management Board of the Dong Dang-Lang Son border gate economic zone said Lang Son province has requested agencies, branches and competent forces at the border gate to proactively advise and flexibly solve problems arising to facilitate import and exports activities in the remaining months of the year.

According to Huu Nghi border gate Customs Branch, from the end of September, the Chinese side changed the delivery method for specialized drivers at Huu Nghi international border gate, affecting the delivery time of goods of importers and exporters. However, to quickly clear export goods over the rest of the year, Huu Nghi Customs has arranged staff to rotate to receive the goods and handle customs procedures for businesses.

The unit has strengthened the implementation of procedures on online public services, reduced paper records, allowed enterprises to owe, delay the submission of documents in accordance with the provisions of the law to boost clearance and restore export activities.

Deputy Director of Tan Thanh Customs Branch Mr. Phung Van Ba said the import and export activities will face many difficulties from now to the end of the year. The amount of goods exported during the day does not meet the needs of businesses, especially at the end of the year, the number of trucks waiting for export is increasing so congestion is inevitable. Therefore, the unit will continue to actively grasp the actual situation of import and export goods to have flexible solutions.

To ensure customs clearance at the end of the year, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department Nguyen Huu Vuong said that the unit has regularly notified agencies, associations and businesses of the situation at the border gate and updated the regulations of the Chinese side on import and export of goods and pandemic prevention and control.Besides, Lang Son Customs is promoting administrative reform and effectively implementing the Single Window mechanism to facilitate customs clearance and minimize costs for import-export enterprises.