Since the beginning of August, import and export activities of goods through Lang Son’s border gates are affected due to the turbulence of the pandemic. Thus, Lang Son Customs Department has launched many solutions to promote border trade activities, reduce costs and damage to businesses to facilitate cargo clearance of firms.

From mid-August, the pandemic turbulence has directly disrupted the cargo clearance through Tan Thanh border gate. The Chinese side changed the process of delivery and receiving goods through border gate, causing prolonging clearance time, leading to a decrease in the flow of goods conducted clearance. As a result, it caused goods congestion at the border gate area.

According to a representative of Tan Thanh Customs Branch, some road border gates in northern provinces could not carry out customs clearance, so the number of vehicles that transported exported fresh fruits to Tan Thanh border gate increased sharply. Meanwhile, the Chinese authority applied a quarantine process for imports, especially dragon fruit, which slashed clearance capacity in this area.

Therefore, to promote cargo clearance and minimise damage for firms exporting agricultural products and fresh fruits, Tan Thanh Customs has actively fulfilled many solutions to increase clearance capacity and reduce costs and time for businesses.

Huu Nghi Customs officer receives and guides enterprises to
carry out customs procedures. Photo: H.Nụ

From the end of August until now, Tan Thanh Customs has created a priority channel for dragon fruits as well as export fresh fruits in general. The Customs authority only conducts the inspection through the electronic declaration system. It requires only a certificate of phytosanitary from a competent agency to carry out the clearance procedures.Tan Thanh Customs has established a customs team in charge of supporting businesses. This group has the task of monitoring the activities of firms importing and exporting goods through the border gate, thereby, assisting firms in carrying out customs procedures for clearance, promptly assisting in handling problems.

Regarding Huu Nghi international border gate, at this time, the number of vehicles gathered at the border gate is very large with a variety of goods. Preliminary statistics showed that in August, there were 806 firms registered for carrying out export procedures through the border gate. Therefore, to facilitate businesses, Huu Nghi Customs Branch has directed professional teams and groups to review and prioritise carrying out procedures for firms which export agricultural products and fresh fruits.

According to Hua Thi Hong, Deputy Manager of Huu Nghi Customs Branch, the unit only conducts physical inspection when detecting consignments showing signs of violation to facilitate quick customs clearance of goods. Hence, it helped to reduce time for customs clearance. At the same time, the unit worked with other units and competent forces at the border gate to arrange to open more channels for re-export of Chinese cargo vehicles (truck of Chinese firms after loading goods to a Vietnamese truck and turn back) to improve the congestion of cargo trucks.

Nguyen Huu Vuong, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department, said besides the above two border gates, the customs force at Dong Dang international railway station border gate and Chi Ma border gate have also developed and implemented practical solutions to support businesses, opening up import and export activities across the management area.

Create a priority channel for vehicles transporting agricultural
products and fresh fruits for export. Photo: Danh Tùng

According to Nguyen Huu Vuong, the unit directed and requested the border-gate customs branches to regularly exchange and conduct direct talks with the Chinese competent forces to strictly comply with the regulations on time for carrying out cargo clearance procedures of both parties.

Lang Son Customs also directed customs branches to arrange customs officers to work on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; establish a Zalo group to connect and exchange two-way with import-export firms, grasping the difficulties, problems and recommendations of firms to solve in a timely manner.

In addition, Lang Son Customs regularly updates the situation on border trade activities at the border gates of the province and speaks to the provincial Departments of Industry and Trade that have a large output of fresh fruit for export at this time to regulate the goods transporting to Lang Son border gates.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the import and export activities through the area, with the efforts of Lang Son Customs, from the beginning of the year until now, the unit has received and completed procedures for 69,170 dossiers of import-export goods declarations with a turnover of $2,646 million, up by 64% over the same period in 2020. In particular, exports reached 29,204 dossiers, worth $873 million, growing by 45% over the same period last year and imports hit 39,966 dossiers, worth $1,773 million, rising by 75% over the same period in 2020.

Simultaneously, the unit has collected VND 5,212 billion, up by 115% over the same period in 2020, some 150% of the assigned target. The unit also collected VND 401.1 billion of fees following Resolution 01/2019/NQ-HDND dated July 12, 2019 of the People's Committee of Lang Son province.