HCMC — Citing slow customs clearance and a huge backlog of vehicles at border gates, the Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade has announced that it will continue to deny entry to vehicles carrying fresh fruits till March 5.
According to the department, although it had issued a document announcing that it would stop allowing passage to vehicles transporting fresh fruits for export to China from February 16 to 25, around 50 vehicles transported fresh fruits to the province per day during the period, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.
It was expected that the fresh fruits would be consumed locally or transported to Cao Bang Province for export to China. However, the vehicles ended up being parked in Lang Son City as their drivers waited for opening of access to border gates, creating difficulties for the provincial authority in ensuring traffic safety and dealing with the backlog at border gates.
At present, an average of 90–100 vehicles have been completing customs procedures per day, officials said.
Meanwhile, more than 1,900 vehicles are currently stuck at the border gates in Lang Son, they informed. It will take 15–17 days to clear the backlog, they said.
Vehicles transporting fresh fruits to Lang Son for local consumption will not be allowed to travel to the border gates during the new suspension period, they added.
