To continue to facilitate clearance activity of import and export goods, especially agricultural products and fresh fruits for export on the basis of strict compliance with regulations on pandemic prevention, Lang Customs Son directed border-gate customs branches to speed up clearance time, especially Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh Customs to closely follow the progress of customs clearance activities in order to grasp the situation and take corrective measures, avoiding the congestion of goods.

According to Lang Son Customs Department, after two days (August 16 and 17) suspending clearance of import and export goods at Tan Thanh border gate, at 8am on August 18 (Vietnam time), the Chinese authority opened border gates and carried out clearance procedures for import and export goods. However, the Chinese authority introduced a new cargo clearance management process at Tan Thanh border gate. Accordingly, to help enterprises understand, Lang Son Customs had announced and communicated to the community of import and export enterprises through Tan Thanh border gate to ensure goods circulation and safety in pandemic prevention.

Although clearance activities have returned to normal at Tan Thanh border gate, according to Lang Son Customs Department, the clearance of exported agricultural products and fresh fruit has been slow due to the application of many procedures and regulations of anti-pandemic prevention launched by the Chinese authority. Therefore, the statistics showed that, from 8am on August 18 to 5pm on August 23, Tan Thanh Customs Branch had completed clearance procedures for 890 trucks of agricultural products and fresh fruits for export.

Meanwhile, from the morning of August 16, the Chinese side suspended clearance at Coc Nam border gate and reopened it on August 20. However, the number of goods loaded for implementing export procedures at Coc Nam border gate was only about 3-5 vehicles/day. Also, the Chinese authority only received goods that were transported on refrigerated trucks of Vietnam.

Cargo clearance activities at Tan Thanh border gate have taken place normally,
but the volume of goods cleared during the day is still limited. Photo: Danh Tùng.

At Huu Nghi international border gate, as of August 23, all clearance activities were still taking place normally. However, the number of goods cleared in a day is limited due to the volume of goods transported to the border gate and the process of anti-pandemic prevention being deployed at a maximum level. Competent forces must carry out clearance procedures for about 300-350 trucks per day on average.

Talking to Customs News, Nguyen Huu Vuong, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department said that the Covid-19 pandemic had caused difficulties for the clearance of goods, especially Vietnam's agricultural products and fresh fruit exports to China through Tan Thanh, Coc Nam and Huu Nghi border gates.

Thus, to facilitate exported goods to operate smoothly, especially agricultural products and fresh fruits of Vietnam, the unit requested border-gate customs branches to divide time frames for each type of import-export goods, especially exported goods. In particular, prioritizing to arrange a time frame for trucks carrying fresh fruit to carry out customs clearance in the morning.

At the same time, regularly discussing with enterprises and goods owners to grasp the situation, difficulties and problems in order to have solutions to remove difficulties for enterprises to export agricultural products and fresh fruits through border gates in Lang Son province.

Besides that, Lang Son Customs also directed Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh Customs Branch to arrange customs officers to receive and process documents and clear goods quickly, especially agricultural products and fresh fruits, avoid costs, time and minimize damage for firms.

Simultaneously, Lang Son Customs has also been actively working with other competent forces such as: Traffic Police, Border Defence force to separate channels and direct trucks entering the border gate area to avoid congestion.

To ensure pandemic prevention and cargo clearance, competent forces at Tan Thanh and Huu Nghi border gates have organised strict medical control at checkpoints, conducting channelization remotely and instructing trucks transporting import and export goods to gather at parking lots along National Highway 1A in order to regulate vehicles, avoiding the situation of vehicle operators gathering in large group, affecting pandemic prevention.

In particular, competent forces at the border gate always require drivers, enterprises, and customs declarants to comply with pandemic prevention measures and perform a Covid-19 test within 72 hours when arriving at the border gate to carry out customs procedures.