Dong Dang International Railway Station: Infrastructure needs upgrading to meet the needs of import and export of goods

	Imports and exports through Dong Dang International Railway Station are continuously being interrupted
	Speeding up cargo clearance via Dong Dang international railway

Panorama of Dong Dang International Railway Station (Lang Son). Photo: H.Nu

Big barrier stems from infrastructure

Dong Dang International Railway Station border gate, located in Dong Dang town, Lang Son province, is the economic zone of Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate with an area of about 56,000 m2, including the central area, station square, reception room, railway station, chemical field... This is a particularly important station connecting with China and is the last station of the Gia Lam (Hanoi) - Dong Dang railway. But after more than 30 years of operation (built in the 1990s), Dong Dang station border gate infrastructure has now degraded, making it difficult to meet trade activities through this border gate.

By the time of the COVID-19 outbreak, a number of land border gates in Lang Son province as well as across the country temporarily suspended import and export activities due to border trade policies, at the border gate of Dong Dang International Railway Station, goods clearance activities took place very vibrantly. Statistics from Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch show that in 2022, the import-export turnover of all types of goods through the Dong Dang station border gate will reach over USD 289.5 million; Total import-export tax collection reached over VND 463 billion, exceeding 226% of the plan assigned for the year and increasing 70% compared to 2021.

However, customs clearance through the Dong Dang International Railway Station border gate is chosen by businesses only as a temporary solution while road border gates are temporarily suspended. At present, when many road border gates have reopened, businesses are no longer "interested" in railways. According to statistics, as of September 20, 2023, the amount of imported and exported goods of all types through Dong Dang International Railway Station has decreased. Total import-export turnover only reached about USD 87.2 million; The new tax payment to the budget reached nearly VND 105 billion, equal to 29% of the plan assigned for the year and a decrease of 73% compared to 2022.

Currently, Dong Dang International Railway Station has only one location for goods inspection and supervision, which is the chemical yard managed and operated by the Dong Dang Station Branch; This chemical yard is not a warehouse, the location was invested in and built by the enterprise and recognized by the General Department of Customs to operate according to regulations. The area where goods are stored for import and export procedures also does not have a fence separating it from the surrounding area, so it does not meet the inspection and supervision requirements of the Customs agency.

In addition, the entrance to the yard is not equipped with a vehicle control barrier system. In the school's chemical yard area, there is no separate entrance and exit to separate the storage area for import-export and transit goods from domestic goods. In particular, the road connecting the national highway to the station is not guaranteed for the transportation of goods in and out.

In addition, the railway line from Dong Dang station connecting to Gia Lam station (Hanoi) and to other provinces, especially the southern provinces, has difficulty transporting goods due to different railway gauges, leading businesses to have to go to the other provinces. Loading, transferring ships, increasing loading and unloading costs, warehousing...

According to a representative of Tien Khanh Import-Export Company Limited (an enterprise that previously operated import-export through Dong Dang International Railway Station), although importing and exporting goods by rail has advantages, such as smooth transportation process and freight costs are lower than other types of transportation... but the conditions, infrastructure, yards, and logistics services here are degraded and incomplete, so businesses still have to prioritize transportation by road.

Not only Tien Khanh Import-Export Company Limited "turned its back", but many other businesses also did not choose to carry out import and export procedures for goods through Dong Dang International Railway Station when most road border gates in the province Lang Son had been cleared again.

Talking to Customs Magazine, a representative of Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch (Lang Son Customs Department) said that in order to attract and retain businesses participating in import-export activities via railway, the office regularly organizes dialogues and meetings with businesses to grasp difficulties, promptly solve them, and create the most favorable conditions when carrying out customs procedures. However the barrier that makes businesses not interested is mainly due to the station's infrastructure not meeting the development needs of import-export activities.

It is necessary to accelerate the implementation of solutions

Faced with the remaining difficulties and limitations, Dong Dang Station Branch and Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch have issued relevant reports and documents on the current situation as well as recommendations to competent authorities. infrastructure investment for Dong Dang station; Along with that, the leaders of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee also worked with Vietnam Railway Corporation to discuss solutions to remove difficulties that are barriers to the operation and import-export through Dong Dang station.

A representative of the Dong Dang Station Branch reported that in mid-2023, the Ministry of Transport implemented a project to renovate and upgrade warehouse items in the Dong Dang station area, expected to be completed by the end of 2024, thereby helping to improve station operations as well as improving import-export capacity, attracting businesses to the station. However, the project's progress is quite slow due to problems with site clearance.

Some businesses commented that not only investment in infrastructure but relevant levels and sectors also need to pay attention to research, review, and calculation and have a special mechanism for import-export businesses to open documents. Declaring through Dong Dang International Railway Station border gate; Along with that is the orientation for businesses providing logistics, transportation, and cargo loading services to invest in developing services at the Dong Dang International Railway Station border gate area in a convenient and methodical way.

Businesses believe that, if properly invested, Dong Dang International Railway Station will play an important role in developing the infrastructure of the Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate economic zone. This will be a special gateway for import-export activities, trade, services, tourism, and goods trade not only in Lang Son province but also between the Northeast region of Vietnam and China and vice versa.