VCN – The congestion of goods at the northern border gates tended to increase in the days after the Lunar New Year 2022. The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) has offered many solutions. However, this requires great efforts from other agencies.
 |
| Goods congestion at the northern road border gate causes heavy damage to businesses. |
To handle the goods congestion at the Northern border gate, the GDVC has actively provided solutions to support businesses to quickly clear goods, even outside of working hours, creating favorable conditions for businesses to store goods, especially fresh fruits and frozen seafood.
However, the situation has not yet been resolved completely and increased after the Lunar New Year as the Chinese border gates have not arranged means of transport and workers to load and unload goods, leading to suspension of operation at checkpoints at border gates.
In response to China’s proposals at the “7th two-nation quadrilateral” meeting between the Customs Departments of the provinces of Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh and Nanning of China, held at the end of December 2021, on February 21, 2022, the country’s top customs department informed about many issues to handle congestion at the border gate, supporting businesses to quickly clear goods.
Regarding the proposal of “Vietnam classifies goods flows and instruct the country’s enterprises to transport goods to border gates that have not been congested for export”, the GDVC said that currently, the operation of border gates in the northern border is still limited. In addition, the customs clearance at these border gates faces many difficulties as the Chinese government implements strict measures for pandemic control and prevention, and shortage of vehicles and loading and unloading workers.
| According to the GDVC, China has opened seven international border gates, six bilateral border gates, 21 subordinate border gates, 37 border crossings across the whole of Vietnam’s land border. However, only 11 border gates operated before the Lunar New Year and nine border crossings have operated after the holiday. |
To expedite the customs clearance of import and export goods of enterprises of the two sides, the GDVC proposes the Chinese Customs authorities implement the customs clearance at border gates that competent agencies have operated sufficiently, especially major and subordinate border gates at the border route.
Regarding the proposal on expansion and improvement of wharves and yards at border gates, the GDVC said this matter is a long-term measure so that border provinces will plan and report to competent authorities for approval and execution.
The current goods congestion is increasing at border gates. Vietnam Customs suggests Chinese agencies coordinate and facilitate customs clearance for imports and exports, execute solutions to promote customs clearance and unify measures of goods delivery and receipt; arrange sufficient means of transport, loading and unloading workers and unify the conditions, processes and standards for pandemic prevention at the border gate areas to execute the “buffer zone” and “green zone” at the border gate area.
Regarding the proposal that Vietnam should perform pandemic prevention, the GDVC said that under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, ministries, government agencies and border provinces of Vietnam are studying to build a “green zone” in the border gate area with the process and standards in line with the Chinese side.
Due to different pandemic prevention and control measures in Chinese localities, the Ministry of Finance has sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Health and assigned customs departments of border provinces to study and coordinate with relevant agencies to build a “green zone” in the border gate areas with standards consistent with Chinese requirements while ensuring the state management of customs for imports and exports.
Regarding the proposal that “the Vietnamese side soon sign a fruit quarantine agreement with China to reduce the inspection rate and improve customs clearance efficiency”, the GDVC has sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to work with relevant Chinese agencies to soon sign the fruit quarantine agreement.
By Ngoc Linh/Ngoc Loan