Lao Cai ensures smooth cross-border trade during Tet
Customs officials will be on duty to ensure smooth flow of goods via Lao Cai Border Gate in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai during Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, head of the province’s economic zone authority Vuong Quoc Vinh said on February 6.
A report from the provincial Department of Industry and Trade showed that Lao Cai January cross-border trade reached nearly US$183 million, a year-on-year surge of 39.66%.
The province shipped US$62.54 million worth of products via the gate, up 30.86% from the same time last year, while spending US$38.18 million on imports from China, increasing 42.81% yearly.
Deputy head of the Lao Cai Border Gate Customs Office Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh said that trade activities at the gate have been stable from the outset of the year, with customs procedures cleared for more than 300 vehicles per day.
Currently, there are some 600 enterprises registering for trade activities via the border gate, she added.
As Lao Cai eyes US$4.5 billion in trade via the border gate in 2024, the province has directed competent sectors to enhance innovation and comprehensive digital transformation, helping improve transparency in administrative procedures.
Besides, the province will work to effectively implement the cooperation agreements between Vietnam and China, develop the Lao Cai – Hekou International Border Gate, adjust land and construction planning inside the border gate economic zone, and step up infrastructure development at the border gate, among others.
