Nearly 3 years of struggling, facing traffic jams
Right from the beginning of 2020, when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out in China, the country immediately closed all auxiliary border gates and openings, only allowing export goods to clear through international border gates, border gates official rank. At the same time, China has stepped up epidemic control and prevention activities on both goods and people, making cross-border trade between the two countries difficult.
Goods are strictly inspected at customs clearance
Goods imported into China will be sampled imported goods on containers for inspection and testing; disinfecting the loading and unloading of goods on imported containers; Spray disinfectant to prevent epidemics for empty containers while cleaning, loading and unloading goods…
For imported frozen food products, if there are no 4 types of papers such as certificates of testing and quarantine of imported goods; sterilization certificate; certification of legal traceability information; Confirmed nucleic acid test negative for COVID-19 will not be exported to this country.
For drivers, China requires that they be isolated, live in a separate concentration area, not infected with COVID-19 and not be allowed to bring goods to the other side of the world. Instead, the country will have a dedicated transport team that is tested for safety, which will go to the delivery area to transport containers of guaranteed goods to the transshipment location.
The tightening of the border caused many times Vietnam’s exports to be congested, causing serious damage
The tightening of inspection to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic makes the time for customs clearance of goods between the two countries prolonged. There are border gates that only meet 20-25% of cargo clearance compared to normal. Especially, in the period from the end of 2021 to the Lunar New Year 2022 and in the first months of 2022, when Orders 248 and 249 on tightening regulations on product origin and food safety come into effect, traffic congestion is serious.
The scene of congested goods at the end of 2021
During this period, Vietnam’s main export product to China, which is vegetables and fruits, has decreased sharply. Specifically, in 2018, the export of vegetables and fruits from Vietnam to China reached nearly $2.8 billion (accounting for about 73% of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable market share). By 2019, this figure will decrease to $2.4 billion (down 14%), in 2020 to reach $1.84 billion (down 30.4%), in 2021 to reach $1.9 billion (up 3.2%) ) and in 2022 reach 1.5 billion USD (down 25%).
Not only the decrease in turnover, the Chinese border tightening also caused a series of Vietnamese agricultural products in the domestic market to drop sharply and had to be rescued. In particular, according to statistics of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, in early 2022, the congestion caused businesses and people to lose millions of dollars because damaged goods had to be dumped.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports to China “swallowed” by the tightening of quarantine when falling sharply from 2019-2022
Facing that situation, the competent authorities of Vietnam have worked many times with the Chinese side to solve the congestion, such as proposing to restore the temporarily suspended goods clearance, increase the working time. The work of functional forces at the border gate, unifying quarantine procedures for agricultural, forestry, aquatic products, fresh fruit in the period of the two countries promoting COVID-19 epidemic prevention…
As a result, from 2019 to 2022, the import and export turnover between the two countries has increased steadily over the years. Specifically, in 2019, the import-export turnover of the two countries reached 116.8 billion USD. In which, export reached 41.4 billion USD, import reached 75.4 billion USD. By 2022, this figure will increase to 177.7 billion USD, of which exports will reach 58.4 billion USD and imports will reach 119.3 billion USD.
What should businesses and people pay attention to when opening border gates?
According to a new announcement by the General Administration of Customs of China, from January 8, China will remove all nucleic acid testing measures for Covid-19 prevention at border gates for goods imported into the country. This provision also applies to imported frozen goods.
China Customs also requested the relevant provinces (autonomous regions) to resume the customs clearance of goods and passenger transport at the border gates in an orderly and stable manner according to classification and submission on one’s own.
From January 8, China will remove COVID-19 testing measures on people and goods entering the country, returning to normal activities as before the epidemic.
Talking to Tien Phong on January 6, Ha Duc Thuan – Deputy Head of the Management Board of Lao Cai Economic Zone – said that China will restore all operations through border gates from January 8, back to normal operations as before the time of the COVID-19 epidemic. Your side does not require COVID-19 testing on goods and people.
With the abolition of testing regulations, according to Mr. Thuan, the goods will be transported by the driver of that country and freely circulated. Clearance time for vehicles transporting import and export goods and driving through Kim Thanh Border Gate is from 7am to 7pm daily. People and accompanying vehicles will enter and exit through Lao Cai international border gate.
The elimination of testing helps customs clearance time faster and helps businesses cut a lot of costs.
To prepare for the restoration of import and export activities, the unit has put into operation a new car park with an area of over 2 hectares. The Management Board also requested the units to prepare plans to ensure the clearance of goods and travel between people of the two countries.
In Lang Son, a representative of this local Customs Department said that the removal of anti-epidemic measures by China will create favorable conditions for businesses of both countries in import and export, helping to reactivate activities more vibrantly to reduce the cost of quarantine, hire a full-time driver in the isolated area to carry the goods…especially the time of customs clearance.
Recently, it is estimated that each truck owner has to spend nearly 10,000 yuan more (equivalent to 30 million VND) to hire a full-time driver. Not to mention, the time of accommodation, COVID-19 testing for business drivers. Currently, every day, there are 900-1,100 trucks carrying goods through the border gates of the province on average. Customs clearance capacity is gradually returning to the beginning of 2020.
At Mong Cai international border gate, despite easing COVID-19 prevention measures in the border gate area, the city government. Mong Cai still requires people in and out to maintain masks, disinfect hands, and do not gather in crowds. Transit drivers still have to wear protective clothing, masks, gloves, shoe covers, and anti-epidemic glasses during work.
Goods and people passing through Mong Cai border gate are advised to continue wearing masks and disinfecting hands. And transit drivers still have to wear protective clothing
Mong Cai still maintains a fleet of transit drivers through the list approved by the Chinese side, and issues barcodes and licenses for eligible transit drivers to enter the working border area.
China opens customs clearance procedures during Tet
The Border Office of Zhuang Autonomous Region – Guangxi announced that it will maintain customs clearance during the Lunar New Year 2023 to facilitate import and export goods of the two sides.
From January 21 to January 27, 2023 (ie the 30th day of the Lunar New Year to the 6th of the Lunar New Year in 2023), Huu Nghi Quan Border Gate (including the entrance to Po Chai, Lung Vai), Ai Diem Border Gate and the Commercial Area Dong Hung border trade residents normally deploy customs clearance inspection services, other border gates will clear customs according to actual needs, but businesses must make an appointment in advance.
Source: CafeF
Source: Vietnam Insider