Nghe An shares a border with three provinces of Xieng Khouang, Hua Phan and Bolikhamxay of Lao PDR; this is a favorable condition for trade and economic development between Nghe An and other localities of neighboring countries. Moreover, it is also a connection and trade of goods with Thailand, Myanmar, etc.
On the border between Nghe An and Laos, there are Nam Can International Border Gate (Ky Son), Thanh Thuy National Border Gate (Thanh Chuong), 3 secondary border gates at Cao Veu (Anh Son), Thong Thu (Que Phong), Tam Hop (Tuong Duong) and many openings along the border districts.
Nghe An is the province with the largest natural area in the country, with 16 national highways passing through and the North-South expressway under construction. The locality also has a synchronous international airport and seaport infrastructure system with a large annual cargo throughput. Nghe An's industrial production has high growth; construction materials (cement, tiles, corrugated iron and steel, etc.) are one of Nghe An's production advantages, and have been exported to many countries around the world, of which exports to the Lao market reach 15-20 million USD/year.
Not to mention fuel products (gasoline, oil, liquefied petroleum gas), with leading enterprises having specialized port systems and large warehouses such as Thien Minh Duc Joint Stock Company (DKC), Petrolimex... increasingly better meeting the requirements of the Lao market, with export turnover reaching 5-10 million USD/year. Besides, traditional products of Nghe An such as: rice, cooking oil, fertilizer, furniture, aquatic products, seafood...) have long been familiar to consumers in Laos.
From 2018 to the first quarter of 2022, the total import-export turnover between Nghe An and Laos reached 139.1 million USD, of which exports reached 132.3 million USD and imports reached 6.8 million USD. Hundreds of thousands of people and vehicles traveled back and forth to visit relatives, work, exchange, buy and sell goods, and visit and tour. From January 1, 2022 to August 10, 2022, at Nam Can International Border Gate, there were 102 enterprises, of which 71 enterprises participated in export activities and 31 enterprises participated in import activities. All enterprises carried out customs procedures on the automatic customs clearance system. Also during this period, 13,516 vehicles completed entry and exit procedures, of which 6,976 entered and 6,540 exited; import and export turnover reached more than 21.7 million USD.
Mr. Phan Van Nham - Head of Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Branch said: After a period of being affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, on May 9, 2022, the Lao Government decided to reopen international border gates, including Nam Can International Border Gate, which has contributed to the bustling import and export activities as well as the visits of people on both sides. Customs clearance of goods, vehicles, entry and exit... were smoothly coordinated by both sides, creating favorable conditions for businesses and people of the two countries to exchange and trade goods. As of August 10, 2022, Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Branch had collected more than 11.2 billion VND for the budget, reaching 127.79% of the assigned target. In particular, the items contributing the largest revenue are: sawn timber of all kinds, imported iron ore for business, arrowroot starch...
In addition to Nam Can International Border Gate in Ky Son District, Thanh Thuy Border Gate in Thanh Chuong District is also an important gateway, with a very favorable location to develop trade with Laos, only about 50 km from Vinh City, and only about 60 km from Cua Lo Port and the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone. To promote trade between the two countries, in 2011, Thanh Thuy Border Gate was upgraded to a National Border Gate. In 2013, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee approved the planning of Thanh Thuy Border Gate with a total area of 21.97 hectares to build functional areas.
By 2016, Thanh Thuy Border Gate was one of the options for building the Vietnam - Laos highway, connecting Hanoi with Vientiane, about 725 km long. By 2018, when the Hanoi - Vientiane highway planning was agreed upon by the two governments, the planning of Thanh Thuy Border Gate into a border economic zone was considered the driving force for the development of the region. Once this highway becomes a reality, it will become a "lifeline" promoting the flow of goods from Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar through Nghe An to the East Sea.
Recently, on the basis of the signed bilateral trade agreements and legal documents issued by the Government, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has also directed the competent authorities and localities with border gates to organize and create favorable conditions for people and traders on both sides to exchange, buy, sell, export and import goods. Customs clearance of goods, vehicles, entry and exit... has been smoothly implemented by both sides. The two sides have coordinated to propose the Ministry of Industry and Trade to establish a master plan for the development of common border trade between Vietnam and Laos for the period up to 2025, with a vision to 2035. Currently, a number of border gate markets and border markets are being surveyed and planned to invest in the construction, including Thanh Thuy border market, which is gradually investing in infrastructure with an area of 12.8 hectares.
In addition, every year, Nghe An has also established delegations of many enterprises to participate in trade promotion activities, trade connection, and investment in Laos to introduce and bring good quality products to Lao consumers. Up to now, there are over 90 Nghe An enterprises participating in investment, production, and business in Laos, with a capital of about 200 million USD. At the same time, it also invites Lao enterprises and business households to participate in trade fair programs in the city to connect supply and demand between Lao enterprises and Nghe An enterprises...
In the period of 2019 - 2022, to promote import and export turnover and create better conditions for customs clearance, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee has been gradually investing and attracting investment in border gate infrastructure; warehouse system, transportation, logistics, etc., arranging forces at the border gate system and openings to ensure the import and export process and holding many talks with the authorities of Lao border provinces to propose upgrading a number of pairs of secondary border gates and openings. Compared to 2013, the infrastructure serving the transportation, import and export of goods across the border has generally improved a lot.
For many years, border residents have been traveling back and forth, trading and exchanging through the border markets of the two countries such as Din Dam market (Bolykhamxay province), Thanh Thuy market (Thanh Chuong), Thong Thu market (Que Phong), Nam Can market (Ky Son) ... Currently, after 2 years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nam Can market at Nam Can international border gate has also reopened on weekends, contributing to the bustling trading, sightseeing, shopping and tourism activities of people on both sides. Since its reopening, each market session has attracted thousands of visitors to visit, shop and exchange and learn about culture. Mr. Nguyen Huu Minh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son district said that the border market at Nam Can international border gate will reopen from the April 30 - May 1, 2022 holiday, every Sunday morning. There is a market in the border area, the number of tourists passing through Ky Son district every week is increasing significantly.
Not only actively cooperating in economic development, in the border area, foreign affairs between districts and districts, communes and villages between localities on both sides of the border are also regularly and comprehensively implemented to contribute to the effective implementation of the Agreement at the 11th Vietnam - Laos Trade Development Cooperation Conference in 2018. Mr. Cao Minh Tu - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said that the potential for cooperation in developing border trade between Vietnam - Laos in general and Nghe An and Lao provinces in particular still has a lot of room. The important thing is to turn potentials and advantages into driving forces, contributing to promoting economic development between the two sides of the border.
