To realize the goal of developing the Lao Cai Border Gate Economic Zone into a dynamic economic zone of Lao Cai province, with an international stature, Lao Cai authorities are working on mechanisms and policies to attract more resources into its Border Gate Economic Zone.

Lao Cai border gate economic zone is the only economic zone in the North with an international border gate located in the city, so it has a fairly developed infrastructure and service system to serve trade, tourism and service exchanges between Vietnam and China.

This is also a border economic zone with many special advantages, particularly with a pair of international border gates of Lao Cai (Vietnam) - Hekou (China), which is located on the economic corridor of Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh - an important gateway for goods transshipment between ASEAN countries through Vietnam's seaports to the southwest provinces of China.

To date, Lao Cai province has attracted 240 projects with a total registered capital of over 37,000 billion VND in the border gate economic zone. The total value of import-export activities through Lao Cai's border gates in 2022 reached nearly 2.3 billion USD, ranking 3rd in import-export turnover compared to other border gates in the northern region of Vietnam (after the border gates of Mong Cai - Quang Ninh and Tan Thanh - Lang Son). Total tax revenue and border fees in 2022 reached 1.65 trillion VND, an increase of 2% compared to 2021.

The Lao Cai border gate economic zone currently has 61 enterprises providing warehousing services with an area of 72.7 hectares, including 5 large logistics centers.

Most of these centers operate professionally from transportation, delivery through border gates, and international payments. At Kim Thanh International Border Gate, there are 450 - 500 businesses regularly engaged in import and export activities.

According to the general planning to develop Lao Cai Border Gate Economic Zone until 2040, with a vision to 2050, in the period of 2021 - 2025 Lao Cai strives to make its Border Gate Economic Zone one of the eight key economic zones of Vietnam, with import-export turnover expected to reach 10 billion USD by 2025.

Therefore, along with the expansion of planning, Lao Cai province is actively attracting large businesses to invest in developing logistics services in this zone, with Kim Thanh and Ban Vuoc logistics zones as key areas in the economic zone border gate.

Minh Yen