Fresh lychee exports through border gates plummet

As a response to this decline, the past three weeks have seen many traders and businesses strive to speed up customs procedures as a way of exporting a great volume of fresh lychee to the Chinese market through the Tan Thanh border gate situated in the northern province of Lang Son.

Captain Bui Gia Trinh, deputy head of Tan Thanh Gate Border Control Station, stated that in order to facilitate the customs clearance of the agricultural item, provincial relevant agencies must make thorough preparations in order to create separate flows for vehicles that are carrying lychees for export.

Most notably, the volume of fresh lychees being exported through the Tan Thanh border gate this year has only reached approximately 3,500 tonnes, equivalent to only one-fifth of the figure seen in previous years.

Hoang Thi Thieu Hoa, deputy director of Tan Thanh Customs Sub-Department, said that at present the majority of lychee exports through the Tan Thanh border gate are being conducted through unofficial channels without the presence of official contracts.

This decline in lychee exports and other farm produce can be attributed to regulations being implemented by Chinese traders who choose which border gate goods are delivered to.

These statistics have prompted Vietnamese agricultural exporters to swiftly work on improving their product quality, ensuring requirements in terms of food hygiene, plant quarantine, and trying to export lychees via official channels in order to avoid potential risks.