HCMC – China resumed importing Vietnamese dragon fruit through the Kim Thanh II border gate in the northern province of Lao Cai today, January 12, after nearly five months of suspension induced by coronavirus concerns, said a local official.
Ha Duc Thuan, deputy head of the provincial Economic Zone Management Board, told Tuoi Tre newspaper that the authority of Hekou in China’s Yunnan Province yesterday announced the resumption of customs clearance for dragon fruit imports from Vietnam via the border gate.
The Chinese side suspended dragon fruit imports from Vietnam through Lao Cai in mid-July last year, citing coronavirus concerns. This resumption is a result of many negotiations between the two sides to remove obstacles hindering border trade, he said.
The official added that the Kim Thanh border gate is tightening anti-Covid measures. Businesses need to actively draw up goods transport plans to ensure smoother trading activities and Covid safety.
Recently, at some northern border gates in Lang Son and Quang Ninh, the export of Vietnamese dragon fruit was halted or remained slow. Therefore, the resumption of customs clearance for Vietnamese dragon fruits is expected to ease the backlogs of goods at other border gates.
Statistics of the Vietnam Customs showed that the volume of dragon fruits shipped to China via the Lao Cai border gate accounted for nearly 35% of Vietnam’s total exports of the fruit to China through border gates and ports last year.
