Trucks carrying fresh fruit wait for customs clearance.

In Lang Son province, customs clearance is carried out at four border gates: Huu Nghi, Dong Dang, Chi Ma, and Tan Thanh.

Over the last two months, the number of vehicles heading to the border gates in Lang Son has increased sharply because this is the main harvest season for many kinds of Vietnamese fruit.

Customs clearance information is provided to producers and processors to help them develop a reasonable export plan, said Tran Duc Giang, head of the Trade Management section of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

“We create optimal conditions for imports and exports passing through our territory, especially agricultural products. We encourage local Departments of Industry and Trade to keep up to date on the import/export situation in Lang Son and ask producers to strictly follow the processing and packaging requirements of importers,” said Giang.

He called on businesses “to take the initiative in contacting and connecting with Chinese partners to move goods by other modes of transport, such as railway or waterway. In addition, they should strengthen domestic sales promotion and connections to hedge against import/export problems.”

Border gate officials have developed plans to facilitate clearance of agricultural products.

Trucks carrying fresh fruit, for example, have priority for customs clearance in the morning to ensure the freshness of their cargo.

Lang Son’s customs officials put fresh fruits on a prioritized path called “the Green Channel” which only takes 2-5 minutes to clear a shipment.

In the last month, 1,500 vehicles carrying fresh fruit, mainly banana, jackfruit, mango, litchi, and dragon fruit, have been cleared for export through the Tan Thanh border gate. More than 1,700 trucks are currently waiting for clearance, 67% of them carrying fruit.

The Lang Son administration has set up talks with agencies in China’s Guangxi province to coordinate their import and export plans, promote trade, and expedite customs clearance operations on both sides.  

Lang Son province has flexibly implemented solutions to help trucks carrying fresh fruits be cleared in the quickest way.

Hoang Khanh Duy, Deputy Director of the Management Board of the Dong Dang-Lang Son Economic Zone, said, “To limit congestion of goods and facilitate import and export through the area, we’ll continue to talk with the Chinese about problems as they arise and improve the efficiency of customs procedures.”

“We’ll continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to improve the inspection process and control procedures for goods and people at the border gates. More attention will be given to discouraging bad behavior, ensuring security and order, and creating a healthy, transparent business environment,” according to Duy.

Fresh lychees in Bac Giang province is about to yield an estimated output of 160,000-170,000 tons this season. The Government has directed Lang Son to help Chinese importers enter Vietnam to purchase lychees.

Since May 20, 170 Chinese importers have come through the Huu Nghi Border Gate to inspect and buy Bac Giang lychees. Senior Lieutenant Hoang Trong Khai, Captain of the Customs Procedures Team at Huu Nghi Border Gate Station, said, “We make it as easy as we can for Chinese importers to enter Vietnam to buy agricultural products. At the land border, our border guards are ready to help them complete the immigration paper work and verification as quickly as possible.”