CAN THO – Lang Son Province will stop allowing vehicles transporting fresh fruits for export to China to its border gates from February 16 to 25 due to soaring backlogs.
The provincial Department of Industry and Trade has written to the Industry and Trade Departments of other provinces and cities nationwide announcing the suspension to cope with the huge backlogs at the province’s border gates.
Four border gates in Lang Son Province–Huu Nghi, Dong Dang, Chi Ma and Tan Thanh–are speeding up customs clearances for goods vehicles. However, China’s tightened anti-Covid measures have affected the customs clearance pace. Only 70-80 container trucks pass through the border gates each day, according to the provincial department.
The Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade had earlier asked exporters to restrict transporting goods to the northern border gates for export. However, the number of fruit vehicles rushing to the border gates is on the rise, at an average of 160-180 vehicles per day, said the provincial department.
As such, container backlogs at the border gates have been soaring. As of February 11, over 1,640 container trucks, with 1,390 transporting fresh fruits, had been stranded at the Huu Nghi, Tan Thanh and Chi Ma border gates.
Lang Son Province’s decision to temporarily stop receiving fruit vehicles was also made following the prime minister’s directive on the handling of huge backlogs at border gates.
Many other northern provinces have suspended vehicles from transporting goods and fresh fruits for export to the border gates several times to ease the burden of customs clearance and quickly clear huge backlogs.
Earlier on January 12, the northern province of Lang Son announced that it would stop allowing vehicles transporting fresh fruits for export to China to its border gates from January 17. On February 5, the Huu Nghi border gate in the province reopened its doors for custom clearance.
