HCMC – The northern province of Lang Son has announced that it would stop allowing vehicles transporting fresh fruits to its border gates for export to China from January 17 until the lunar New Year holiday or Tet.
On January 12, the Lang Son government wrote to other cities and provinces informing them of its decision, aimed at clearing the backlogs at border gates before the Tet holiday, the local media reported.
According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, as of January 12, more than 1,500 container trucks, including 651 container trucks transporting fresh fruit, have been stuck at the Huu Nghi, Tan Thanh and Chi Ma border gates.
Meanwhile, only 80-100 container trucks, including 50-60 vehicles transporting fruits, can pass through the border gates per day.
With this customs clearance pace, it will take 13-15 days to clear the backlogs at the border gates, while other vehicles continue running to the province.
The Lang Son government had earlier suggested other localities ask their enterprises to stop transporting goods to border gates in Lang Son. However, from January 5 to 10, an additional 680 vehicles transported cargo to the province.
As China is pursuing the “Zero Covid” policy and tightening control in border areas, Vietnam’s export activities will continue facing difficulties.
Lang Son has also suggested other localities direct enterprises change transport and export methods to railways and waterways to ease the pressure at border gates.
Lang Son will continue taking solutions to improve its customs clearance capacity and enhance discussions with the Chinese side to resume customs clearance at some border gates.
At a conference on January 12 to boost the export of farm produce by sea, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam also highlighted Lang Son’s suspension on receiving vehicles transporting fresh fruits.
He asked enterprises to calculate and regulate the volume of goods exported to the northern border until Tet and foster local consumption.
