Total import and export turnover at Nam Can International Border Gate reached 15.4 billion VND

Import and export activities through Laos show signs of recovery

Nghe An has more than 400 km of border adjacent to 3 provinces of Laos, with Nam Can International Border Gate (Ky Son) and 4 secondary border gates and many openings along the border districts. This system of border gates and openings creates favorable conditions for people and businesses to travel, trade and exchange goods from Nghe An to Laos and vice versa.

Over the years,industrial productionin Nghe An has grown strongly, exported to many countries in the world, of which exports to the Lao market reached 15-20 million USD/year, mainly construction materials, consumer goods, straw from cereals, fly ash, vegetable oil, asphalt, fertilizer, animal feed, rice, diesel fuel for cars...

Import and export activities at Nam Can International Border Gate in the first 6 months of 2022 increased by more than 60% compared to the same period in 2021 - the time when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out strongly. Photo: Tien Dong

From 2018 to the first quarter of 2022, totalimport and export turnoverbetween Nghe An and Laos reached 139.1 million USD, of which exports reached 132.3 million USD, imports reached 6.8 million USD. Hundreds of thousands of people and vehicles traveled back and forth to visit relatives, work, exchange goods, and visit and tour.

However, since the Covid-19 pandemic appeared at the end of 2019 until the end of 2021, the import and export activities of goods and the entry and exit of people on both sides of the border have been seriously affected. Import and export turnover during this time has somewhat decreased compared to the previous period. Only when the Lao Government decided to reopen the international border gate system did export, import and entry activities show signs of recovery.

Mr. Phan Van Nham - Head of Nam Can International Border Gate Customs Branch said: "After May 9, 2022, when the Lao Government decided to reopen international border gates, including Nam Can International Border Gate, import and export activities as well as visits to relatives of people on both sides have basically stabilized again. Customs clearance of goods, vehicles, entry and exit... are coordinated by both sides to facilitate the exchange and trade of goods between businesses and people of the two countries".

According to statistics, from January 1, 2022 to June 15, 2022, 95 enterprises participated in customs procedures, of which 65 enterprises participated in export activities and 30 enterprises participated in import activities. Of these, 100% of enterprises performed customs procedures on the automatic customs clearance system.

Besides import and export goods, during this period, there were also 8,049 import and export vehicles, including 4,119 import vehicles and 3,930 export vehicles.

Unloading goods at Nam Can international border gate. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nham also said that in the first 6 months of 2022, 437 import and export declarations were made. The total import and export turnover reached more than 15.4 billion VND. And the good news is that the budget collection in the first 6 months of the year reached more than 9.6 billion VND, an increase of 60.65% over the same period in 2021 - the time when the Covid-19 pandemic was most complicated.

Continue to close main and secondary border gates

The Covid-19 epidemic situation in Vietnam has been controlled, but that does not mean that trade and visits between Vietnam and Laos can be carried out freely. Laos only agreed to open the international border gate, while the secondary and main border gates remain closed. This has also greatly affected trade and immigration activities between the two sides.

According to Official Dispatch No. 4226 dated June 10, 2022 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, implementing the direction of the Government in Official Dispatch No. 1606 dated March 15, 2022 on restoring Vietnam's entry and exit policy in the new situation and the agreement between Nghe An province, Hua Phan province and Bolikhamxay province (Laos) agreed to reopen activities through secondary border gates in the province.

On April 15, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 2604 announcing the restoration of Vietnam's entry and exit policy for international border gates and secondary border gates in the province bordering Bolikhamxay and Huaphan provinces of Laos.

Citizens complete exit and entry procedures at Nam Can International Border Gate. Photo: Thanh Cuong

However, on May 18, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee received Official Dispatch No. 1929 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notifying that Laos agreed to reopen all international border gates for Lao citizens, foreigners and stateless persons to enter and exit. However, the main and secondary border gates remain closed and do not serve entry and exit.

Nghe An Provincial People's Committee also requested provincial departments, branches, sectors, unions and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns, based on their assigned functions and tasks, to disseminate and notify relevant organizations and individuals, and at the same time coordinate with functional forces at the border gate to effectively implement the above contents of the Lao Government.

In Tuong Duong district, where Tam Hop sub-border gate is located, after a long period of closure, in early 2022, after receiving a document requesting opinions on the opening of main and secondary border gates on the Vietnam - Laos border, the locality also responded in writing, requesting permission to reopen Tam Hop sub-border gate.

It seemed that the reopening of this secondary border gate was carried out, ensuring trade and business activities as well as visiting relatives, but after the Lao Government announced that the secondary border gate would continue to be closed, not serving entry and exit, it also somewhat affected people with relatives on both sides of the border here.

Many opinions say that it is necessary to propose opening all main and secondary border gates, because if only the international border gate is opened, it will cause difficulties, inconvenience and costs for people on both sides. Instead of going 30km through the secondary border gate, people from Ky Son, Tuong Duong or districts along the Nghe An border who want to visit relatives in Laos will have to go to the international border gate to complete procedures and travel hundreds of kilometers. This is a problem that needs to be considered and resolved.