Lang Son Customs: work 24/7 to support lychee exports

	Vietnam’s export fruits "expensive as gold"
	Prices of Luc Ngan lychees hit record high
	China buys over 9,500 tons of lychees

Export turnover of fruits and agricultural products through Tan Thanh border gate in Lang Son province accounts for about 90% of the total agricultural export turnover through border gates adjacent to China’s border. Therefore, Lang Son Customs Department has directed Tan Thanh Customs Branch to focus human resources and introduce solutions to support Vietnamese exports, especially for agricultural products that Vietnam is dominating in the market such as dragon fruit, watermelon, mango and lychee.

In addition, at Huu Nghi border gate and Coc Nam border gate, export procedures for lychee are quickly implemented, contributing to the clearance of lychee in the main season. From the efforts of lychee producers and the efforts of the authorities at Lang Son border gate, the amount of lychee exported to China through Lang Son province is always higher year on year, Tuong said.

Lang Son Customs facilitates exported agricultural products. Photo: H. Nu

Statistics show that, in 2018, Lang Son Customs carried out export procedures for 51,000 tons of fresh lychee and 19,000 tons of dried lychee with a value of over US$ 30 million.

However, Tuong said that the export of agricultural products and fruits to the Chinese market is facing difficulties and obstacles. Specifically, the competent forces of China have had a change in organizational structure, the Quarantine forces merged with Customs, accordingly a number of mechanisms and policies in the management have also been changed.

From May 1, 2018, the Chinese have applied traceability, thereby strengthening and tightening border import and export management for Vietnam's agricultural products, thus a number of Vietnamese agricultural products such as: sugar-apple, pomelo, coconut, passion fruit, mango, durian, mangosteen, cassava chips, black agar, cannot be exported under border trade at sub-border gates such as Coc Nam and Tan Thanh. Therefore, the exports of agricultural products through the border gates of Lang Son Customs Department significantly reduced, greatly affecting production and business in agricultural products of localities in the country in general and Lang Son province in particular.

It is known that Vietnam and China have signed an Agreement on Plant Quarantine that allows 8 kinds fruits to be exported to China including: lychee, longan, dragon fruit, rambutan, jackfruit, mango and fresh bananas. In addition, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam - China has also completed the signing of the Protocol on plant quarantine requirements for exported mangosteen to China, other fruits and agricultural products can only be exported in the form of exchange by border residents.

The traffic channel classification for vehicles transporting agricultural products to move conveniently. Photo: H. Nu

To facilitate import and export activities in general and export of agricultural products in particular, including Bac Giang’s fresh lychee through Lang Son border gate, Lang Son Customs often urge and direct border gate customs branches to create favourable conditions for enterprises in customs procedures such as working at weekends and arranging officials to be on duty 24/7.

In addition, the unit also cooperates with the local authorities to develop plans to classify traffic channels, upgrade the infrastructure system, yards and ensure security at border gate area to create favourable conditions for procedures, reduce customs clearance time and costs for enterprises.

However, in order to facilitate the exports of agricultural products and lychee in 2019, Tuong said that enterprises and traders should change their business method with Chinese traders from the market business (bringing products to market) into foreign trade business (trading under legally binding foreign trade contracts). In particular, it is necessary to classify, pack, support traceability from the stage of harvesting, ensuring the law of the importing countries and rapid clearance.

Vietnamese still struggle to export lychees to Australia Fourteen years after the country first applied, Vietnamese processors are still struggling to export fresh lychees to ...

In addition, traders and enterprises should coordinate with each other to provide information to customs authorities and competent agencies at the border gates to have prompt support solutions and avoid possible risks.