Lang Son: Finding solutions to promote import and export of goods via the railway

According to the report of the Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone, in recent years, import and export activities of goods through Dong Dang International Railway Station have continued normally, the main export goods are iron ore, aluminum ingots, art wooden furniture, tapioca starch, sargentodoxa trees, dragon fruit, dried pork skin, pig feet, cooked chicken feet... Imported goods are mainly steel of all kinds, refractory materials, melamine, pig leather, frozen chicken feet, frozen pig feet, chemicals,...

Accordingly, the turnover of import and export goods through Dong Dang International Railway Station has grown quite strongly. Specifically, in 2018, the total turnover of import and export goods reached US$ 93.8 million, by 2023 it reached US$ 136 million but significantly lower than US$ 289.5 million in 2022. The reason of an increase turnover of import and export goods through Dong station Posting an in 2022 is that some land border gates in Lang Son province as well as across the country interrupted import and export activities due to China's border trade policies. Although the number of imported and exported goods through Dong Dang station has increased since 2019, the quantity has not increased evenly; Freight transportation activities as well as import-export activities still have some limitations.

Leaders of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee and a working group of Vietnam Railway Corporation conducted a field survey at Dong Dang station.

One of the reasons for the limitation is that the national railway network is not synchronized in terms of track gauge, and the station infrastructure is not able to meet the organization of large trains; The road system connecting to Dong Dang station warehouses and yards is limited in load capacity; Lack of cargo loading equipment; The capacity to load, unload and release wagons is still slow...

​Faced with difficulties, shortcomings and limitations in international intermodal freight transport activities, as well as import and export activities of goods through Dong Dang international intermodal railway station, at the meeting with the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, departments, divisions and branches in the area took place on the afternoon of February 23. Mr. Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Railway Corporation, expected Lang Son province to implement many contents to support the Vietnam Railway Corporation effectively exploiting the Vietnam - China international railway transport route.

In particular, the expectation was that the People's Committee of Lang Son province would continue to work with Bang Tuong town, Guangxi, China to agree on tax policies for officially importing agricultural, forestry and fishery goods via the railway to attract enterprises to transport, export goods via railway; Direct relevant departments and branches and the People's Committee of Cao Loc district to speed up the progress of site clearance so that contractors can have space to implement project for renovating, expanding, and improving the capacity of Dong Dang station...

At the meeting, Mr. Doan Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee agreed with the proposals and recommendations of Vietnam Railway Corporation and directed the Department of Industry and Trade to preside over relevant departments and branches conduct propaganda for import-export enterprises to increase the use of railways to carry out import-export activities of goods; The Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone Management Board coordinated with the Lang Son Customs Department to research and discuss with the authorities of Guangxi, China to review the tax rates for officially imported goods transported through the railway border gate; Cao Loc District People's Committee proactively implemented solutions to speed up the progress of site clearance for contractors to carry out the construction of the project on renovating, expanding, improving the capacity of Dong Dang station...

Mr. Doan Thanh Son also proposed that Vietnam Railways Corporation soon upgrade and renovate the Hanoi - Dong Dang railway into a high-speed railway; and continued to pay attention to investing, renovating, upgrading and completing Dong Dang station infrastructure; Early synchronous invested in a system of refrigerated container trains to serve the transportation of agricultural products, fresh fruits... Notably, promulgating support and propaganda policies for enterprises to increase the import and export of goods via the railway route and transit to a third country