Even though the export, import, and goods transportation have been recovered, it remains at a much lower rate compared to the previous time as people need to strictly follow regulations to prevent the COVID-19 epidemic.
The Import and Export Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam said that, in the past time, to deal with the issues caused by COVID-19, to stimulate export and import and cross-border goods transportation, as well as to fulfill the requirements of COVID-19 prevention, the Prime Minister has issued Official Letter No. 808 / VPCP-KTTH dated February 5, 2020, on exportation, importation, and cross-border transportation, and Telegraph No. 224 / CD-TTg of February 12, 2020, on addressing the issues in export and import, as well as in cross-border transportation, in which he allows the continuation of import and export activities, as well as the transport of goods via Tan Thanh and Coc Nam sub-border gates of Lang Son province and the opening of Km3 + 4 Hai Yen ward, Mong Cai city - Quang Ninh province.
The permission to restore the operation of the border gates under the direction of the Prime Minister at the Official Dispatch No. 224 / CD-TTg and the uniform application of the process of disease control and prevention under the Ministry of Health’s guidance in Official Letter No. 829 / BYT-MT, have timely removed difficulties and created favorable conditions for the export of goods, especially of fresh agricultural products and fruits, across the Northern border, and at the same time ensured effective epidemic prevention.
However, although the import-export and freight activities have been restored, the progress will be much slower than the previous time due to the strict implementation of measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 disease, resulting in the lack of human resources involved in the process of import, export, transportation, delivery, loading and unloading, loading of goods in the border areas of both Vietnam and China.
By the end of March 30, 2020, there were about 1,175 vehicles on the whole Northern borderline, of which there are 1,086 vehicles in Lang Son province, mainly transporting dragon fruits, watermelons, bananas, mangoes, and jackfruit.
Recently, Chinese authorities have informed Lang Son authorities about not allowing drivers from certain provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Binh Thuan, to deliver and receive imported goods into China, as these are provinces and cities that are experiencing complicated developments in the epidemic.
In localities with a large volume of import and export goods such as Quang Ninh, Lang Son, and Lao Cai, provincial People's Committees, despite the early establishment of the "buffer zone" process and the usage of the location of the border gate area as quarantine areas, are still facing difficulties when it comes to deploying the construction of a driving force large enough to carry out the transfer of goods to China and to help the driver team transporting goods from the inner city to the border areas.
In the context that the clearance capacity of the recently-reopened border gates has not improved much, and at the same time, more strict control and disease prevention and control measures are going to be applied nationwide in the coming time, it is likely that this will greatly affect the activities of transporting, importing and exporting goods through border gates with China.
Meanwhile, some of our fresh agricultural products and fruits will continue to be at the ripe season to export to China, and if the volume of cars and goods exported from the provinces and cities to the Northern border gate area continues to increase, the congestion of goods will certainly occur in the near future.
Facing the above situation, the Department of Import and Export has sent a dispatch to the Department of Industry and Trade of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, as well as the associations and enterprises that export goods to China, proposing coordination to seriously implement the recommendations.
At the same time, the Department has also introduced the goal of “giving the highest priority to the prevention and control of epidemics and ensuring the safety for people and laborers; not allowing the pressure to relieve congestion and to promote import and export of goods to make people neglect disease prevention measures” during the course of implementing the production, import and export activities, contributing to the overall work of the country in combating the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Source: https://cafef.vn/
