Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh 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 Lang Son 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, Chinh asked relevant agencies to urgently implement measures to promote the cross-border trade of farm produce.

Accordingly, authorities of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Dien Bien 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 Viet 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.

Chinh 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, Chinh 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, Lang Son Province Department of Industry and Trade sent a document to other provincial and municipal departments and enterprises about the congestion at Huu Nghi International Border Gate.

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