The Tan Thanh Border Gate has 1,000 trucks waiting for entry to China. — Photo haiquanonline.vn

The People's Committee of Lang Son Province has sent to the Prime Minister a proposal that Tan Thanh Border gate temporarily stop receiving trucks transporting exported goods to China for 15 days from April 16.

According to the People's Committee, as of April 13, there were up to 2,600 trucks carrying exported goods at border gates in Lang Son waiting for entry to China.

Of which, the Tan Thanh Border Gate has 1,000 trucks waiting for entry. There were 50 trucks of goods entering China per day during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, lower than the 300 trucks per day before the pandemic, reported haiquanonline.vn.

Those 1,000 trucks need 20 days to complete export procedures for their goods, according to authorities in Lang Son.

That would will increase costs and reduce the quality of goods, causing losses for farm produce export businesses and households.

At the same time, a large number of drivers in the border area are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection.

That is due to strict pandemic prevention measures on the Chinese side, according to the People's Committee. It has created a lot of difficulties in import and export activities between Viet Nam and China.

China has set up teams of drivers at the Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh border gates and cut working hours to five hours per day, excluding weekends and public holidays. It has also stopped customs clearance at the Binh Nghi sub-border gate.

Therefore, the People's Committee has requested centrally-run provinces and cities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to coordinate associations, sectors and enterprises in reducing export goods, especially farm produce, to border gates in Lang Son Province during the current period. — VNS