The request was made in a diplomatic note sent by Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien to China’s General Administration of Customs.

According to the ministry's Asia-Africa Market Department, the tightened policies for pandemic control for products exported to China have caused great difficulties for Vietnam’s producers and exporters.

China has been tightening its import policies to mitigate Covid-19 risks and inspecting imported goods since the beginning of last year, resulting in cargo congestion at Vietnam’s northern border gates with China.

With the pandemic situation worsens in several countries in the region, the minitry says there is a high chance of China, Laos and Cambodia continuing to tighten Covid-19 prevention measures at border gates, hindering two way trade.

It has requested China, Laos and Cambodia cooperate with Vietnam in implementing pandemic control procedures at border gates, ensuring both Covid-19 prevention and trade flow.

The ministry said that it will closely track pandemic prevention measures and import-export of goods at the border gates to ensure quick handling of any difficulties arising in cross-border trade.

Vietnam exported $104 billion worth of goods in the first four months of 2021, up 28 percent year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office.

Exports to China reached $17 billion during the period, a year-on-year increase of 32.4 percent.