Vigorously promote supports and create favorable conditions for fresh fruit exports

– Due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the export of Vietnamese fruits to China’s market faced many difficulties. To solve these problems, the Provincial People’s Committee has directed relevant sectors and forces to flexibly assisted and create the most favorable conditions for exporting fresh fruits through the provincial border gates.

From May 1 to June 6, 2021, the output of fresh lychees exported through Tan Thanh border gate reached approximately 3.5 thousand tons with a turnover of about USD 600.000. Ms. Hoang Thi Thieu Hoa, Deputy Director of Tan Thanh Customs Branch said: Due to various reasons, the export turnover of fresh lychee in the past 1 month decreased by approximately 20% compared to the same period of last year. In order to promote the lychee export through the area, our unit has put fresh lychee inn the list of priority goods  entitled as “green channel” which allows exporters to reduce a great amount of time for customs clearance and inspection procedures. Therefore, at present, it takes less than 1 minute to clear a shipment of fresh lychees at the border gate,

In addition to lychee, eight other fresh fruits are allowed to be exported to China’s market as namely as dragon, jackfruit, mango, watermelon, banana, rambutan, longan, mangosteen are approved by Customs Office at the border gates of the province to be included on the list of “green channel”, thereby, leading to reducing time for customs clearance procedures.

Plant quarantine officers inspected fruits exported through Tan Thanh border gate

Mr. Nguyen Huu Vuong, Deputy Director of Lang Son Customs Department said: We have instructed customs sub-departments at the allowed border gates to proceed customs clearance quickly, applied reasonable solutions to support businesses, prioritized  completed procedures for trucks carrying fresh.

Not only the customs force, at this time, but also the Plant Quarantine Office of Region VII takes action to support the export of fresh fruits at the border gates of the province. They applied suitable measures to reduced stages of plant control and issued quarantine certificates for fresh fruit shipments quickly.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, Director of the Plant Quarantine Office of Region VII, said: One of the reasons causing difficulties for exporting our fresh fruit products to China is  that we only signed agreement on eight out of nine fruit have plant quarantine for only one type of fruit. When exporting to China, 100% of the fruit shipment is inspected and it takes longer for customs clearance longer than other countries. To overcome this problem, our office actively discussed and held direct talks with China’s customs and quarantine authorities. Thanks to these dialogues, we reached an agreement to shorten the quarantine period for Vietnam’s fruits. The procedures now only quarantine, probabilistic inspection, there is no need to inspect  100% of the shipments.

 In fact, at this time, export activities are facing a number of certain difficulties because the level of control over people and vehicles passing through the border gate  is China still increased in order to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the functional forces at the border gate are always proactive in taking measure to solve problems and  create conditions for trucks carrying fresh fruits. Along with the customs and plant quarantine forces, the border guards at the border gates have also created separate lanes for trucks carrying fresh fruits for export; regulated vehicles entering and exiting for customs clearance area with the aim to avoid traffic congestion.

Border force of Huu Nghi International Border Gate separated and regulated export cargo trucks

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dai, Director of Department of Industry and Trade said: Recently, the People’s Committees of 31 provinces and cities with large specialty fruit plantation have sent official written request to Lang Son province to ask for support and favorable conditions for their fruit export at the border gates of the province. Following the direction of the Provincial People’s Committee, the Department of Industry and Trade actively update business and Departments of Industry and Trade of provinces and cities in Vietnam the information of import and export with a focus on the export of fresh fruit, thereby regulating trucks transporting fresh fruit for export reasonably and avoiding financial damage to businesses owing to traffic congestion.

Additionally, Lang Son Department of Industry and Trade has built an online platform to supply business with information of  fruit export activities; coordinated with the Management Board of Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate Economic zone to regularly discuss with the authorities of Guangxi (China) to reach mutual agreement of the extension of customs clearance time. There should be mentioned that staff of our department devote out time to work with China making great  contributing to promoting the customs clearance through the provincial border gates.

It is concluded that these effective solutions the relevant departments, branches and forces of the province have implemented over the time have made an important contribution to creating favorable conditions for the clearance of fresh fruit exports through the province’s border gates.

In the first 5 months of 2021, the total output of fresh fruit exported through border gates in the province reached approximately 1.3 million tons, increasing to 94.31% over the same period in 2020. The turnover reached nearly 350 million USD. The products that increased the most were dragons (454.3000 tons, increasing to  242% over the same period), fresh jackfruits (226.000 tons, increasing to 101% over the same period).