Lang Son: Solving the congestion of agricultural products at the border gate

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Enterprises can plan to export durian at any time to China. Photo: Internet

Sudden increase due to durian products

According to the Management Board, since May 22, the number of trucks carrying agricultural products from inland provinces to Huu Nghi international border gate area has soared. The reason is that this time is the durian harvest season, with an estimated output in the second and third quarters of about 650,000 tons. Meanwhile, this product can only be exported through Huu Nghi international border gate.

Therefore, the Dong Dang - Lang Son Economic Zone Management Board, the Department of Industry and Trade, and the Lang Son Customs Department worked with the PingXiang General Taxation Department (China) to agree that from May 26, the time for customs clearance procedures will be up to 20 hours (Hanoi time), increasing working hours compared to the beginning of May 2023.

This helps increase customs clearance capacity through Huu Nghi international border gate from 750 to 820 trucks per day, an increase of 250-300 trucks compared to the middle of May 2023.

Specifically, on May 26, the total number of trucks cleared through the province's four road border gates was 1,183, of which the number of trucks going through Huu Nghi international border gate was 829 (Export: 334; Import: 485). Although it was Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, 2023, the number of trucks carrying import and export goods through Huu Nghi international border gate still reached more than 700 per day.

On the morning of May 27, 430 trucks were parked on National Highway 1A, the number of trucks parked outside the border gate area extended through Lang Son city. The congestion of agricultural products has the potential to damage enterprises. Because, in hot weather conditions, the fruit ripens quickly and is easily degraded, many trucks still need to guarantee the quality, so they cannot be exported.

To solve the congestion, Lang Son province decided, starting from 3:00 pm on May 27, all trucks carrying goods waiting for export through Huu Nghi international border gate have to move to the non-tariff area for waiting.

The Department of Industry and Trade predicts that trucks carrying durian fruit and other products such as litchi, dragon fruit, jackfruit, and mango from inland provinces and cities to Huu Nghi international border gate will continue to increase because all these items are in the harvest time and only permitted officially to be exported through the international border gate, this will raise the trucks waiting for export at the Huu Nghi international border gate area, leading to the long-term congestion, causing insecurity and disorder, affecting traffic safety and environmental sanitation.

Giving warnings

These days, the Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate economic zone Management Board has strengthened coordination with other authorities at the border gate and traffic police to regulate trucks from inland to the gate to ensure smooth customs clearance.

At the same time, the Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate economic zone Management Board has discussed with the General Taxation Department of Pingxiang (China) to agree to extend the clearance time of the day and continue to ask China for cooperation in regulating durian exports through the pair of border gates Tan Thanh (Vietnam) - Po Chai (China) to reduce the pressure on the Huu Nghi international border gate.

Talking to reporters, a representative of Lang Son Customs Department said that to continue to facilitate import-export activities, improve the output of customs clearance of import-export goods at border gates in Lang Son province, optimize the use of border gate infrastructure in the current context, the department has proposed that enterprises, when carrying out import and export procedures, need to declare in advance the information of goods and means of transport in accordance with the provisions of the customs law to the customs systems as well as the Lang Son digital border gate platform before bringing goods in and out of Vietnamese territory.

Agricultural products congested at Huu Nghi international border gate area. Photo: H.Nu

In particular, Lang Son Customs Department recommends that agricultural, forestry, fishery and seafood exporters need to carefully study China's regulations on hygiene, food safety, quarantine, packaging, packing specifications, labels, growing area codes, etc. to avoid the case that the goods are not accepted by the Chinese side and forced to be re-imported into Vietnam.

In addition, to solve the congestion of trucks carrying export goods, especially trucks carrying agricultural products and fresh fruits, Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade has sent documents to the provincial and municipal Departments of Industry and Trade and associations nationwide to recommend that enterprises, organizations and individuals do business in exporting goods, especially fresh fruits, to consider and proactively calculate before sending trucks to the Huu Nghi international border gate area to avoid additional costs for warehousing, especially to avoid waiting for a long time, affecting the quality of exported fruits; and consider to change modes of transport (export through international railway border gates) or bring goods through border gates of other areas to minimize waiting and parking for a long time.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Lang Son province asked localities to inform businesses and traders about the current congestion.

It is recommended that enterprises, organizations and individuals consider and proactively regulate goods at Huu Nghi international border gate reasonably, avoiding additional storage costs.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Lang Son has guided businesses and traders to change transport modes to railways or export through border gates of Quang Ninh, Lao Cai and Cao Bang provinces to minimize long waiting times and reduce the risk of damaged goods.

The Department of Industry and Trade of Lang Son province has also proposed to strengthen the implementation of market connectivity, promote processing and domestic consumption, focusing on fruits such as durian, dragon fruit, jackfruit, mango, and melon; and accelerate trade promotion and expand export markets.

In particular, the departments and branches of Lang Son province require enterprises, traders, and transporters to strictly comply with the regulatory work of the authorities of Lang Son province to solve the congestion; properly and fully declare customs clearance procedures as prescribed; ensure the quality of export goods and make effective use of the clearance time of the day to increase customs clearance efficiency.

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In addition, the parties should actively monitor and grasp the customs clearance situation at Huu Nghi international border gate and other border gates in Lang Son province, promptly update the policy changes on the Chinese side to coordinate import and export activities actively.