Authorities inspect vehicles and cargo at Thường Phước International Border Gate in Đồng Tháp Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG THÁP— Clear border gates and efficient clearance procedures are helping Đồng Tháp Province maintain steady cross-border trade with Cambodia, ensuring agricultural produce and other goods move smoothly without congestion, even during the peak Tết (Lunar New Year) period.

Bordering Prey Veng Province of Cambodia along more than 50 kilometres, Đồng Tháp Province operates two international border gates: Thường Phước International Border Gate in Thường Phước Commune and Dinh Bà International Border Gate in Tân Hộ Cơ Commune.

Thanks to close coordination among customs authorities and related forces, import-export activities at both gates have remained orderly, fast and uninterrupted.

Clear border gates, swift clearance

At Thường Phước International Border Gate, reporters observed a notably open and calm scene, with limited traffic and no signs of congestion.

Vehicles transporting agricultural produce and other goods were cleared in an orderly manner, allowing cross-border trade to proceed as usual.

According to Đặng Hoàng Nam, deputy head of Customs at Thường Phước International Border Gate under Customs Sub-department Region XX, imported goods mainly include natural river sand, iron ore, scrap materials, fresh mangoes and rice.

“The unit works closely with inter-agency forces stationed at the border gate to ensure goods are cleared in accordance with regulations, while prioritising fast clearance for agricultural products,” Nam said, adding that overall import activities have remained smooth and stable.

Similar conditions were recorded at Dinh Bà International Border Gate, where import and export operations have continued without disruption and within regulated timelines.

Nguyễn Văn Phương, deputy head of Customs at Dinh Bà International Border Gate, said agricultural imports through the gate have remained relatively stable, meeting domestic consumption and production needs.

Key imported items include rice and fresh mangoes originating from Cambodia.

Phương noted that some difficulties recently emerged when quarantine agencies began implementing State inspections on plant quarantine and food safety in line with Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP guiding the Law on Food Safety.

However, customs authorities promptly reported the issues to higher levels, allowing obstacles to be resolved swiftly.

At present, quarantine agencies issue phytosanitary certificates and food safety inspection results for eligible shipments within the same day, ensuring goods are cleared normally and preventing congestion of vehicles and cargo at the border.

This has been particularly important as the Lunar New Year peak approaches, helping maintain security and stability in border areas.

The customs office at Dinh Bà International Border Gate continues to strictly inspect and supervise goods in compliance with regulations, while applying risk management to facilitate faster clearance for compliant businesses.

This approach has significantly reduced clearance times, especially for fresh agricultural produce, minimising spoilage, and protecting the interests of both enterprises and farmers.

Main export items across Đồng Tháp’s border gates include fertilisers, animal feed and aquatic products, while imports largely consist of natural yellow sand, rice, mangoes, refined sugar and iron ore.

Sơn Thu Import-Export Company, which regularly imports mangoes and rice from Cambodia through Dinh Bà International Border Gate, has benefited from these facilitation efforts.

Trần Ngọc Thu, a company representative, said authorities at the border gate actively guide businesses through administrative procedures, enabling goods to be cleared on schedule.

Trade flows uninterrupted

Customs Sub-department Region XX is responsible for State management and enforcement of customs regulations across An Giang and Đồng Tháp provinces.

According to Đặng Văn Tiến, deputy head of the sub-department, around 312,000 customs declarations were processed in 2025, with total import-export turnover reaching nearly US$13.2 million.

Of this amount, Đồng Tháp alone accounted for almost 237,000 declarations, with turnover exceeding $10.8 million.

Despite numerous challenges over the past year, the sub-department implemented its annual key tasks in a synchronised and effective manner, ensuring that activities of businesses and individuals were not disrupted.

Legal documents, professional procedures and supervisory regulations issued by the Customs Department were promptly and fully implemented.

Support for customs declarants and taxpayers has been identified as a regular and continuous task.

Since 2025, the sub-department has organised multiple themed Customs–Business dialogue conferences at the sub-department level, helping resolve difficulties and provide timely guidance for enterprises.

In addition, Customs Sub-department Region XX has actively advised provincial authorities on customs-related matters, contributing to the swift removal of bottlenecks during the clearance process.

As a result, import-export activities through Đồng Tháp’s border gates have remained smooth, contributing to a transparent, fair and stable business environment while supporting State budget revenue.

In 2025, the sub-department collected more than VNĐ1.63 trillion in State budget revenue, exceeding the target assigned by the Prime Minister by 18.4 per cent and surpassing the internal target set by the Customs Department by nine per cent.

According to Tiến, difficulties related to the implementation of Decree No. 46/2026/NĐ-CP have now largely been resolved.

Agencies responsible for State inspections on food safety at border gates are currently receiving and inspecting imported food shipments efficiently, with results issued within the same day.

“This ensures goods can be cleared quickly and prevents congestion at Đồng Tháp’s border gates,” he said. — VNS