Some 3,400 tonnes of export lychees were cleared by Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch in two weeks.

Lychees are processed for export procedures at Lao Cai International Border
Gate Customs Branch. Photo: People's Newspaper.

More than 200 tonnes of lychees are cleared per day

From May 8, lychees have gone through customs procedures at the branch, Deputy Manager of Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch Nguyen The Hung told to Customs News.

“As of May 24, a total of 3,400 tonnes were cleared with a total turnover of over US$2 million. Currently, 200 to 250 tonnes of lychees were exported on average per day”, Hung said.

Some 15 firms have carried out customs procedures for fresh lychee exports such as Gia Bao Trading One Member Co., Ltd, Dung Quang Trading One Member Co., Ltd, Minh An Trading One Member Co., Ltd and Huy Hoang Trading One Member Co., Ltd.

According to Le Phuong, Director of Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch, many agricultural products like dragon fruit, lychee, mango, banana have export procedures carried out at the branch. Over the past time, the branch has focused on instructing the business community about customs process to quickly clear these products.

The branch has worked with agencies in the area to conduct customs clearance for fresh lychee products in a quick manner.

“Due to the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to ensuring customs clearance of goods, the branch has also taken measures to prevent and control disease for customs officials,” Phuong said.

Ha Duc Thuan Deputy Head of the Management Board of Lao Cai Economic Zone said the board and agencies have classified channel to give priority to export fresh lychee in the early morning every day as this product are preserved in ice and are not preserved in refrigerated containers like dragon fruit.

In addition to close coordination between agencies in the area, the local government has worked with agencies of Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to facilitate lychee exports while ensuring Covid-19 prevention and control.

Recently, Bac Giang Provincial People's Committee sent a working group to grasp the situation and work with authorities in Lao Cai.

Drivers from pandemic-hit areas are changed or implemented quick Covid-19 tests

The People's Committee of Lao Cai province has issued a plan on the management of drivers of vehicles carrying goods to Lao Cai International Border Gate and production materials to Tang Loong Industrial Park since May 22 to create favourable conditions for import-export, production and business activities and disease prevention and control.

Drivers of vehicles carrying goods and production materials from the pandemic-hit areas to Lao Cai International Border Gate for export and to factories in Tang Loong Industrial Park are implemented under two options.

Option 1, the driver is changed before entering the quarantine checkpoint. Specifically, the driver transporting goods from pandemic-hit localities will be changed with a driver of Lao Cai to transport goods to border gates or Tang Loong Industrial Park.

The driver transporting export goods will change driver at Km 237 on Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway.

The driver transporting raw materials to Tang Loong Industrial Park will change the driver Xuan Giao intersection (IC17).

While waiting for the return of vehicle, the driver must stay in a private area and comply with regulations on pandemic prevention.

Option 2, the driver has a quick Covid-19 test at Km 237 on Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway.

If the driver tests negative for Covid-19, he will be allowed to transport goods to the border gate or to the Tang Loong Industrial Park.

When arriving at the border gate, the driver must follow with management and regulations to ensure pandemic prevention and control, and give priority to customs clearance (priority given to the export of agricultural products, especially fruits).

Factories in Tang Loong Industrial Park are required to prioritise for cargo clearance so that the vehicles can return within the day. The diver and the assistant driver must stay in a private area, ensuring pandemic prevention and control.

If the driver tests positive for Covid-19, he must be kept in a quarantine centre and carry out a PCR test. The vehicle and cargo must be disinfected during the diver is permitted to be changed.

After the goods are exported or raw materials are handed over, the driver must return to his home and not stay in Lao Cai province.

If the driver wants to stay at Lao Cai after the goods are exported and raw materials are handed over, he must be quarantined for 21 days.

In 2020, Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch cleared 32,000 tonnes of lychees.

From the beginning of the year to May 15, the total import and export turnover of goods at the branch reached US$579.3 million, of those, export turnover was US$392.4 million. Exported goods are mainly agricultural products.