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Customs clearance at Huu Nghi Border Gate takes place slowly. Photo: H.N

As of December 20, over 5,000 vehicles carrying goods have been congested at three International Border Gates of Huu Nghi, Tan Thanh and Chi Ma to wait for customs clearance. Of which, over 1,400 containers of jackfruit, dragon fruit, peeled boards, and electronic components have got stuck at Huu Nghi International Border Gate.

About 3,000 vehicles carrying agricultural products such as watermelon, dragon fruit, green banana, jackfruit, and mango transported from Quang Ngai, Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Dak Lak, and Binh Dinh provinces have been congested at Tan Thanh border gate, and more than 750 vehicles at Chi Ma border gate.

On December 21, only Huu Nghi International Border Gate performed customs clearance, so that the exports in the near future will face difficulties. Only 90-10 vehicles are cleared per day, equal to about 1% compared with the previous capacity.

According to Chairman Ho Tien Thieu, the congestion of vehicles at the border gates stems from exceeding the clearance capacity at the current time. Although the local government has told provinces and cities that have exported goods across the area about this situation, there has not been effective coordination of localities and businesses to regulate the transportation of export goods to the border gates.

The backlog of vehicles at border gates has put great pressure on the province’s management in terms of arrangement for drivers and their companions, affecting environmental sanitation, security and pandemic prevention and control, the chairman said.

Regarding short-term solutions, the local government will continue to negotiate and propose the Chinese ministries and local government agencies to implement solutions to extend the customs clearance time at the border gate, especially for Vietnam’s agricultural products.

The local government has also mobilized resources to control people and vehicles at the border gate; arranged parking areas for vehicles waiting for export at each border gate area to split the volume of these vehicles and then regulate them at the border area with an appropriate number. The border gates only allow one driver to drive the vehicle and protect the goods. The companions must stay in a private area.

Regarding a long-term solution, the local government suggested that localities across the country should recommend and instruct the production areas to produce according to market demand, meeting regulations and standards of the market and ensuring safety in disease control and prevention.

Ministries and local government agencies need to implement plans to consume and export agricultural products nationwide from the beginning of the year to provide more effective solutions, and recommend in a timely fashion to famers and businesses engaged in agricultural sector from production, processing to transportation, consumption and export.