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Import and export activities through the international road border gate No. II Kim Thanh, Lao Cai. Photo: T. Binh.

Agricultural products flow to Lao Cai

Recently, e-Customs Newspaper published an article on "Lao Cai's initiative for import and export facilitation during the Corona epidemic", which stated that facing the developments of the Corona virus epidemic (Covid-19), Lao Cai authorities have reported to the competent authority on many solutions for import and export facilitation, including solutions to maintain import and export activities in the direction that those involved in these activities such as drivers and shippers will be isolated in a certain area at the border and not be permitted to move inland.

The unit’s initiative is to establish a transit driver team for import and export activities. When transporting goods, the drivers are to be equipped with protective equipment.

After publishing, the article attracted the attention of many readers, with some asking whether enterprises have to pay fees for this service or not?

Facing this question, on February 13, Ha Duc Thuan - Deputy Head of Lao Cai Economic Zone Management Board, who advanced the initiative and presided over the implementation said that transit drivers are arranged by import-export enterprises or Vietnamese and Chinese logistics joint-stock companies, so import-export enterprises do not have to pay fees for this service.

With the initiative and the efforts of competent forces in the area, all 130 vehicles of goods stuck at Lao Cai border gate before the Lunar New Year 2020 have been released.

However, recently, because Lao Cai international border gate is one of few areas bordering China with flourishing import and export activities, many vehicles of agricultural products have been moved there

“Meanwhile, the loading and unloading capacity of Ha Khau, China is limited because it is not permitted to gather crowds, each truck has only three or four workers, and clearance capacity is limited. Previously, 200 to 300 vehicles of agricultural products were exported every day on average, but now it’s only about 100 vehicles or less. We keep discussing with Ha Khau authorities to soon improve loading and unloading capacity to increase volume of cleared goods,” Thuan said.

Nearly 4,500 tonnes of dragon fruit cleared

Regarding the import and export situation at Kim Thanh International border gate Road II, on February 13, Tran Anh Tu - Deputy Director of Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch (Lao Cai Customs Department) said the unit is trying its best to quickly clear import and export goods, while ensuring efficiency of State management on customs.

From February 8 to February 12, Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs Branch has cleared 613 import and export vehicles with total weight of goods of nearly 13,000 tonnes worth nearly US$5.4 million.

Of which, export goods were in 363 vehicles, with a turnover of nearly $4 million and total weight of nearly 6,550 tonnes, the main export goods being dragon fruit, jackfruit and bananas.

Particularly, dragon fruits were in 277 vehicles with a total weight of 4,467 tonnes.

Lao Cai International Border Gate Customs: Agricultural products flourish VCN- Contrary to the country’s decrease in agricultural exports, those at the Lao Cai International Border Gate ...

In 2019, value of import, export, trade, and exchange of goods through border gates in Lao Cai reached $3.8 billion, of which exports reached $2.6 billion. Particularly, imported and exported agricultural products reached 1.57 million tonnes with a turnover of more than $1 billion.