.

Vietnamese businesses were informed that from 0:00 of December 29, 2021 to 24:00 on January 26, 2022, the customs agency will temporarily stop importing dragon fruit from Vietnam.

The decision was apparently made because of the complicated pandemic developments in Vietnam.

A representative of Lang Son Customs Agency told VietNamNet on December 28 that the agency got the news from businesses. Meanwhile, Lang Son border gate agencies have not received an official notice from the Chinese customs agency.

At an online conference on cooperation between Vietnamese and Chinese customs agencies to fight against smuggling on December 28, Lang Son Customs Agency’s Deputy Head Vu Tuan Binh asked Chinese Nanning customs agency to instruct border gate agencies to exchange information with Vietnamese customs sub-agencies as soon as possible to discuss the solutions to arising problems. This will help better control import and export activities, ensure the implementation of anti-pandemic activities, facilitate trade activities, and soon ease the deadlock at border gates.

“We propose that Nanning customs agency creates favorable conditions for Vietnam’s farm and seafood produce and give priority to produce to shorten the time for customs clearance, especially for consignments quarantined by CCIC (China Certification & Inspection Group),” he said.

The leaders of the Lang Son Customs Agency also asked the Nanning counterpart to exchange information and update new policies to be applied from 2022, if any, so as to improve Vietnam’s state management in the customs sector and fight against smuggling.

Prior to that, at GDC’s conference reviewing tasks in 2021 and discussing tasks for 2022 held on December 27, Deputy Head of Lang Son Customs Sub-agency Nguyen Huu Cuong said 2,043 trucks carrying goods, mostly farm produce, were stuck in the locality as of the end of December 24.

Currently, only 78-90 trucks can get customs clearance each day. With such a low customs clearance capacity, deadlocked goods won’t get a customs clearance from now to Tet.

He said that talks at higher levels are needed on the issue, because talks between the management board of the economic zone with the Chinese side did not bring the desired effects.

Stressing that customs clearance from now to the end of Tet holiday will be slow, he recommended that owners should think carefully before carrying goods to border gates.

Vuong recommended that businesses carry goods by rail rather than by land.

“China is pursuing a zero-Covid policy, so carrying goods by rail is the best solution,” Vuong said. 

Tam An

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