It took half a month to clear thousands of vehicles of dragon fruit and jackfruit

On December 11, the Border Gate Management Center - Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate economic zone sent a second official dispatch to businesses exporting goods through border gates in Lang province. Paint. Specifically, Mr. Vi Nhan Dao, deputy director of this center, said that due to the complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic , import and export activities of goods through border gates in Lang Son province faced many difficulties. difficulties, customs clearance capacity is increasingly limited; Traffic of people and vehicles at the border gates increased. Therefore, now all the border gates are overloaded, creating great pressure on epidemic prevention and control as well as on ensuring security, order and environment in the border gate area. Up to now, the amount of goods that exist at these 3 border gates is up to 4,058 vehicles.

Trucks carrying agricultural products to China are severely congested at the Lang Son border gate TTXVN

Specifically, according to the Border Gate Management Center, Huu Nghi international border gate has up to 1,016 vehicles in the border gate and transshipment areas, the export capacity here in recent days has reached 120-130 vehicles per year. day. At Chi Ma border gate (temporary clearance from 8/12), there are 738 vehicles in stock and the clearance capacity is only about 30-40 vehicles per day. Therefore, the volume of goods is pouring into the Tan Thanh sub-border gate with 2,304 vehicles, the customs area and the yards in the Coc Nam area. Meanwhile, the export capacity in recent days in Tan Thanh from over 200 vehicles, now reduced to 150-160 vehicles per day. According to the customs office, especially for fruit products that are congested in Tan Thanh, such as dragon fruit and jackfruit, it takes half a month at the fastest time to clear all customs. If so, it will affect the quality and price of goods.

Recently, China also announced to suspend the receipt of frozen goodswithin 14 days before and after the Lunar New Year 2022 via seaport. Ms. Phan Thuy Dung, owner of a shrimp farm in Khanh Hoa, said that the export of frozen goods to China by sea was suspended from the Chinese side in early January 2022, but now a series of importers stopped buying. New information received is that the main seafood processing companies in Dalian city (China) will stop operating until after the New Year, at least until February 2, 2022. So tens of tons of shrimp to the harvest of the company wants to change the direction to sell to the road, but now the road is also blocked. "Another year without Tet!", Mrs. Dung shook her head and said. However, as of December 11, at Mong Cai border gate (Quang Ninh) there are more than 800 refrigerated trucks carrying frozen shrimp, basa fish... are stuck here.

Previously, the Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son border gate economic zone informed that from the end of November, the Chinese side asked exporters not to allow frozen vehicles to be exported to this country before and after the traditional Lunar New Year. so that Chinese customs officers can go home to celebrate Tet with their families. For a long time, the Chinese border-gate customs units... working and staying at the border-gate camps to control frozen goods imported from Vietnam, must be quarantined for 21 days before returning to the domestic area. This force is also tested for Covid- 19 every 2 days.

Increase exports to other markets

On December 12, talking with Thanh Nien, Mr. Vy Cong Truong, Deputy Director of the Customs Department of Lang Son province, said that the situation of congested fruit trucks at border gates was alarmed very early, when the Chinese side. notice is available. Many agencies, departments and senior leaders have discussed and worked with Chinese regulatory agencies many times, but with the policy of pursuing "zero Covid-19" that China is applying, All situations are difficult to turn.

“Meanwhile, the month before Tet is the time to harvest many agricultural products such as dragon fruit, mango, jackfruit ... from the southern provinces. In addition to tightening customs clearance, the Chinese side is placing many high requirements on quality, food safety, traceability, packaging, etc., making customs clearance slower and slower. Compared to 2019 when there was no outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, the volume of goods cleared through 3 border gates in Lang Son province has only reached 20-25% so far," Truong said. The border gate management center also warned businesses to be proactive in making import and export plans to avoid being passive, regulating goods remotely and limiting transporting vehicles to Lang Son border gate during this time.

Economic expert Nguyen Minh Phong said that if China tightens the import of frozen goods, if there are specific requirements for epidemic control, businesses must meet them in order to sell. As for the pursuit of the "zero Covid-19" policy, we have to accept the exemption of frozen goods. However, there are 3 problems here. Firstly, if the door is closed to Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products during the time of Tet, commercially it is the consumertheir country's real loss, not the real seller. Secondly, between Vietnam and China, there have been signed basic treaties to facilitate trade in goods for the two countries, if the epidemic is considered a force majeure case, their unilateral refusal to receive goods, restricting them Is opening the door for goods in line with the commitment between the two signatories? When communicating at the Government level, the ministry... must pay attention and stick to specific regulations for negotiation and adjustment. It is not too late to continue the exchange.

Thirdly, with goods that have not yet been brought to the border gate, which is in danger of congestion in localities, exporters must find new markets to export. In addition, increasing domestic demand is also a solution to the situation of limited domestic market demand, especially in the context that people have spent nearly half a year of isolation against the epidemic.