Container trucks queue to cross Hữu Nghị Border Gate, Lạng Sơn Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuấn

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked relevant ministries and authorities to urgently develop measures to prevent congestion at border gates with China in the northern region during the peak harvest season of major fruits.

In recent days, the number of trucks carrying agricultural products for export has increased dramatically at border gates in Lạng Sơn Province. At the same time, the time for processing customs clearance was prolonged due to limited customs clearance capacity, causing congestion at border gates.

Some fruits were entering the harvest season, such as durian, jackfruit, lychee and dragon fruit. It was forecast that vehicles carrying fruits and agricultural products for export to China would flock to border gates in the northern border provinces, which might cause congestion, pushing up costs and causing damage to businesses.

To prevent the congestion at border gates, Chính asked relevant agencies to urgently implement measures to promote the cross-border trade of farm produce.

Accordingly, authorities of Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Lào Cai, Cao Bằng, Hà Giang, Lai Châu, Điện Biên and ministries of industry and trade, finance, national defence, foreign affairs, agriculture and rural development to develop regulations on the trade of agricultural products between Việt Nam and China and work closely with the Chinese side to increase the efficiency of customs clearance, simplify procedures and facilitate trade.

 A close watch must be placed on the circulation of goods in the northern border localities to raise appropriate transportation measures and prevent congestion at border gates.

The domestic consumption of agricultural products must also be promoted.

In the long term, it was necessary to promote the official export of farm produce to China together with diversifying transportation methods, including road transportation and railway, sea and air transport.

Chính also asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to speed up the negotiations for official market opening, quality management and removing technical barriers for farm produce as well as reducing the frequency of checks from the Chinese side.

To export sustainably to the Chinese market, Chính asked relevant ministries and localities to focus on developing planting areas which met the requirements of origin traceability, food hygiene and safety.

The focus should also be placed on building and protecting brands of major farm products and applying technology in origin traceability.

Another important solution was to mobilise resources to upgrade the infrastructure at border gates to meet the goods circulation and cross-border trade.

In late May, Lạng Sơn Province Department of Industry and Trade sent a document to other provincial and municipal departments and enterprises about the congestion at Hữu Nghị International Border Gate.

The document said that the number of vehicles transporting goods to Hữu Nghị Border Gate increased dramatically as the durian harvest season was coming. Durian was mainly exported to China via Hữu Nghị Border Gate, accounting for 50 per cent of the total vehicles to the gate. — VNS

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Việt Nam seeks to expand overseas markets for lychees, longans

The Ministry of Industry and Trade held a meeting with Việt Nam Trade Offices abroad on Wednesday to discuss ways to boost the exports of lychees and longans as many northern localities are harvesting the fruits.

Speaking at the event, Director of the Bắc Giang provincial Department of Industry and Trade Trần Quang Tân said the province’s total lychee production is estimated at a record of over 180,000 tonnes this year. The harvesting period is from May 25 to July 30.

Apart from the traditional market of China, its promising markets include the US, the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the Middle East, Thailand and Hong Kong (China).

Director of the Hải Dương provincial Department of Industry and Trade Trần Văn Hảo said the province now has nearly 9,000ha of lychees and expects to harvest around 61,000 tonnes this year, about 31,000 tonnes of them are early-ripening lychees.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đỗ Thắng Hải asked relevant units to regularly update the situation of farm produce and overseas demand for these products, including lychees and longans.

The Việt Nam Trade Offices abroad were assigned to closely follow the market situation, trade policies and export requirements for key commodities, thus providing timely advices for the ministry’s leaders to support localities, associations, and businesses.

The Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) must step up policy research and forecasting to offer all possible support to enterprises in trade promotion and export-import activities, he said. — VNS