Trade counselor suggests other export methods to Chinese market

Discussing the congestion of goods at the border area with China, Lai analysed that like Vietnamese citizens, Chinese people place special importance of New Year festivals, resulting in a growing demand for products during the traditional New Year holiday, such as watermelon, dragon fruit, or aquatic products.

Amid the COVID-19 epidemic still undergoing complicated developments in the region and in the world, the Chinese Customs has repeatedly detected the packaging of products imported from the Vietnamese market which have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, some positive COVID-19 cases have been found in border areas amid ongoing challenges.

With its resolve to maintain a "Zero-COVID" policy, China has continuously strengthened strict pandemic prevention and control measures, thereby making import and export activities between itself and countries it shares a border with difficult, with the Vietnamese border proving particularly tricky.

The Chinese Government, in recent pandemic prevention policies, has requested that border-gate localities implement border management measures, including imposing strict controls on entry and exit activities for both people and goods.

With regard to the efforts made by the Vietnam Trade Office in China to deal with this situation, the trade counsellor said the office has co-ordinated efforts with its branches in Nanning and Kunming to regularly monitor the situation at Chinese border gates. This is being done while promptly grasping information related to policies and management activities at Chinese ports and border gates for import and export of goods to make specific recommendations to Vietnamese authorities. This will subsequently allow them to swiftly inform businesses and devise plans to ensure the smooth operation of Vietnamese import and export activities to northern neigbour.

The Trade Office constantly stays in touch with Chinese customs authorities and central trade management agencies in order to actively exchange information and respond to opinions given by relevant ministries and sectors linked to common issues. This includes trade activities and boosting trade facilitation at border gates.

Asked about what relevant agencies and Vietnamese businesses could do to minimise damage caused by goods congestion at border gates with China, Lai underlined the necessity of taking radical and long-term measures. Indeed, there should be a particular focus on regulating the amount of goods from localities and reducing items brought from the border gate area.

This will serve to help release backlogged goods and both avoid increasing congestion and regulate what types of goods that can be cleared at border gates in some localities other than Lang Son and Quang Ninh, he added.