LẠNG SƠN — In response to the Prime Minister’s dispatch on proactively ensuring production, processing, consumption, and export of agricultural products, authorities at border gates in Lạng Sơn province have implemented synchronous measures to regulate and manage the flow of import-export vehicles, maintaining stable goods circulation.

At the Hữu Nghị International Border Gate in early June, an average of 800–900 vehicles passed through daily. Among approximately 300 vehicles exporting goods each day, over 80 per cent carry fresh agricultural produce, mainly mangoes, jackfruit, and durian.

According to plant quarantine authorities, in the first five months of 2025, over 179,000 tonnes of fresh fruit were exported through the border gate, an increase of more than 5,200 tonnes compared to the same period in 2024.

To expedite clearance procedures, the local customs force has enhanced digital transformation and deployed modern equipment. As a result, in the first five months of 2025, the Customs Office processed over 21,000 sets of import-export declarations, with a total trade value exceeding $1.3 billion and tax revenue of over VNĐ2.5 trillion ($96 million), a 10 per cent increase year-on-year.

Ngô Lâm Sơn, deputy head of Hữu Nghị Customs, noted that the office ensures smooth and timely customs procedures by assigning sufficient officers and maintaining off-hour and weekend shifts, enabling prompt goods clearance.

Major Trịnh Văn Bắc, deputy head of the Hữu Nghị Border Guard Station, said forces have been stationed at key locations prone to congestion to ensure smooth cross-border trade flow.

At the Tân Thanh Border Gate, the official opening of the specialised goods transport route (1088/2–1089 section), part of the Hữu Nghị (Việt Nam) – Youyi Guan (China) border gate pair, has facilitated trade. Policy reforms have made it easier for businesses, especially with Chinese cargo trucks now allowed to deliver directly to Vietnamese yards, reducing loading/unloading times and costs.

Trần Anh Tuấn, deputy head of Tân Thanh Customs, stated that designated officers closely follow the activities of export-import firms and assist with customs procedures, especially for fresh fruits. With the lychee harvest underway, specific plans have been implemented to ensure the fastest clearance for lychee-carrying vehicles.

According to the Management Board of Đồng Đăng–Lạng Sơn Border Gate Economic Zone, from January to early June 2025, the total import-export turnover through Lạng Sơn’s border gates reached over $34 billion, up 36 per cent year-on-year. Trucks transporting fresh agricultural products are given priority clearance, while inspection and quarantine procedures remain fully compliant.

This proactive and coordinated approach among Lạng Sơn’s agencies is helping maintain a seamless supply chain for agricultural exports, avoiding congestion and ensuring uninterrupted trade of fresh produce. — VNS