Over 2,900 containers are stuck at yards and along the highway in Tan Thanh border gate

As of the afternoon of December 25, 4,204 trucks carrying export goods were stuck at border gates in Lang Son province, including 2,924 trucks of fresh fruit, mainly at Tan Thanh border gate.

Amid prolonged congestion, Lang Son province decided to provide free treatment for drivers who are infected with Covid-19 and reduce infrastructure fees at border gates and discount prices of other services at Tan Thanh border gate.

Accordingly, a 10% reduction has applied to vehicles carrying export and import goods; a 5% reduction for vehicles carrying business goods in the form of temporary import for re-export, goods temporarily exported for re-import, border-gate transfer goods, goods from foreign countries stored in bonded warehouses for export, and goods in transit, port-transfer goods and goods originating from a third country.

Lang Son province has also reduced service prices at Tan Thanh border gate, a 20% reduction of service prices for all vehicles in and out of the bus station from December 25, 2021 to March 31, 2022.Fees for using infrastructure, service works and public utilities in the border gate area in Lang Son province have been reduced.

Following the direction of the People's Committee of Lang Son province, Bao Nguyen Commercial Transport Joint Stock Company has also reduced 20% to 70% of day/night parking service price at Tan Thanh border gate cargo bus station for businesses.

In addition, Bao Nguyen Commercial Transport Joint Stock Company has worked with Tan Thanh Border Gate to provide free bottled water and instant noodles to all drivers when trucks were congested at the border gate.

Tan Thanh Customs has mobilized resources to accompany long-distance drivers.

Also on the afternoon of December 25, Tan Thanh Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) called for benefactors, the business community, customs officers in the unit to donate nearly 1,000 "social security bags" worth VND150,000 including dry food, sausages, purified water, “Banh Chung” (a cake made from sticky rice) to help long-distance drivers who are living in difficult conditions and lacking food and drinking water.

With the decision to reduce many fees at the border gate area of ​​the People's Committee of Lang Son province, the yard operators have received positive feedback from drivers and businesses. Many drivers said this decision is really necessary and an urgent support solution, removing some of the immediate difficulties for businesses and drivers.

Speaking to Customs News, a representative of Tan Thanh Customs Branch said the reduction of fees for using border gate infrastructure and service prices at Tan Thanh border gate is a practical and urgent move to support exporters amid the cargo congestion and Covid-19 pandemic and has partly solved difficulties for businesses when the congestion of agricultural products has been increasing due to China’s tightening of trade rules for pandemic prevention and control.

In addition, Lang Son province also agreed on the establishment of a "buffer zone" which is an international-standard disinfection area for export goods outside the border gate area and at Huu Nghi international border gate and Tan Thanh border gate. Here, the control of the pandemic for people and goods will be strictly ensured, management of full-time drivers and long-di