Promote border trade

Export activities through border gates and openings in Quang Ninh province are stable and grow annually. The bright spots of border trade have positively contributed to the comprehensive friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China.

Mong Cai international border gate. (Source: Thanh Nien)

In addition to promoting the effectiveness of the Van Don - Mong Cai expressway, the efforts of the functional forces of the border gate sector have helped import-export activities in Quang Ninh province to flourish. The Department of Industry and Trade of Quang Ninh province informed that export activities through border gates and openings in the province have been stable and grown steadily in recent years.

Comprehensive Collaboration Platform

Data from the Department of Industry and Trade of Quang Ninh province shows that the total export turnover of goods in the province in two and a half years (2021 - the first six months of 2023) is estimated at 6,784 million USD, an average increase of 9.7%/year (exceeding the target set by Action Program No. 01-CTR/TU, the average increase in the period 2021-2025 is 5-7%/year).

According to the assessment of the Quang Ninh Provincial Customs Department, after coming into operation in September 2022, the Van Don-Mong Cai Expressway will bring many strengths to the province's import-export activities such as: connecting with road border gates, facilitating trade of goods between the Chinese market and ASEAN countries; connecting the international border gate chain with the province's economic zones such as Mong Cai, Van Don, Quang Yen; connecting logistics services of the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong seaport system; connecting the axis of major cities Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh and the economic space, the maritime economic corridor of the northern coastal region.

In particular, by shortening the travel time from Mong Cai City to Ha Long City to 1 hour and 30 minutes (according to National Highway 18, it would take three hours), the time from Hanoi to Mong Cai will be only three hours. This will shorten the time for transporting goods and reduce the costs incurred.

After China downgraded its Covid-19 prevention level in January 2023, thousands of tons of goods were cleared through customs, a sharp increase compared to the same period in 2022. Notably, there was no longer any traffic congestion at the border gates, and vehicles carrying imported and exported goods to Vietnam were basically cleared by the Chinese side to enter and return home on the same day.

Import and export activities through border gates and openings are basically uninterrupted, creating peace of mind and a long-term stable business environment for enterprises with import and export activities.

It is forecasted that in 2023, economic-trade cooperation, tourism, and business activities between enterprises and border residents will develop, the flow of import and export goods and means of entry and exit through border gates and openings will grow again, especially seafood and agricultural products.

At the same time, Quang Ninh province strives to create maximum convenience for export enterprises. Border gates proactively deploy solutions to create maximum convenience for enterprises. Customs branches promote administrative procedure reform towards transparency, convenience, ease of implementation and reduction of customs clearance time and costs for enterprises to improve competitiveness, encourage enterprises to invest, produce and attract enterprises to carry out import and export procedures.

In the coming time, in order for import-export activities to make a stronger breakthrough, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province will continue to pay attention to attracting, creating conditions, and quickly handling procedures for investors to build warehouse and yard projects in the area, logistics zones in the Border Gate Economic Zone (Hoanh Mo - Dong Van, Bac Phong Sinh, Mong Cai) according to the approved planning and design to ensure that projects are implemented on schedule, commensurate with the scale and capacity of border gate operations and openings; upgrading, renovating, and expanding routes for means of transport to connect from the Hoanh Mo and Bac Phong Sinh border gate areas with logistics zones, cargo inspection locations, bonded warehouses, etc.

In the plan, the province will accelerate the implementation of planning and expand the border gate area for Hoanh Mo, Bac Phong Sinh, Mong Cai border gates (Bac Luan II bridge) to ensure import and export activities; promote planning and complete logistics infrastructure, ICDs and duty-free shops in the area.

Model border gate route

Mong Cai is the only international border city in the country that shares both land and sea borders with China. Over the years, border trade has always been a bright spot in the cooperative relationship between Mong Cai and Dongxing City (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China).

In 2021, despite the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, import-export turnover through this border gate still reached over 4 billion USD, an increase of 46%; in 2022, the total volume of import-export goods reached 1 million tons, import-export turnover was nearly 3.3 billion USD, and the state budget revenue was nearly 1,650 billion VND, the highest ever.

According to statistics, in early September 2023, on average, nearly 220 import-export vehicles passed through Bac Luan II border gate and Km3+4 Hai Yen opening every day.

After China opened its border from the beginning of 2023, import-export and immigration activities through Mong Cai (Vietnam) - Dongxing (China) have continuously grown. By the end of August, the total import-export turnover reached more than 2.2 billion USD (up about 5%); State budget revenue was more than 1,000 billion VND (up about 8%) compared to the same period in 2022.

Economic cooperation and border trade have always been one of the key areas that Mong Cai City and Dong Hung City have focused on promoting. The recent signs of recovery in border trade continue to strengthen the relationship between the two sides, aiming to build a pilot mechanism for the Vietnam - China cross-border economic cooperation zone according to the Central Government's direction.

Information from Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Branch said: “Quang Ninh Provincial Customs Department maintains annual “two-country, four-party” talks. At the Branch level, Mong Cai Border Gate Customs actively invited Dong Hung Customs to exchange and discuss ways to remove difficulties. In response, Nanning and Dong Hung were also very enthusiastic and responsible in the discussion, clear and transparent, and proposed solutions for both sides to promote effective import and export activities in the coming time.

Increasingly improved import-export infrastructure, transparent administrative reform procedures or improved product quality, meeting the standards of the "billion-people" market are important "keys". However, the solid foundation for trade cooperation is the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China, inherited and developed by the Party Committee and the government of Mong Cai City over the years. To concretize the policy of "building a peaceful, friendly, stable and developing border" of the two Parties and two States, Quang Ninh - Guangxi, Mong Cai - Dongxing, and Fangcheng continuously have activities to establish friendly exchange mechanisms, talks, and mutual support...

Mr. Hoang Ba Nam, Secretary of Mong Cai City Party Committee affirmed: "Contributing to the growth of import-export, immigration through Mong Cai border gates, there is a "positive role" of cooperation, solidarity and friendship, especially the strategic trust of both sides in implementing socio-economic development tasks, ensuring national defense and security. We are united in action to build the Mong Cai and Quang Ninh border gate as a model border gate in the national border gate system nationwide".

In particular, Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone (including Mong Cai City and part of Hai Ha District) is identified by the Prime Minister as a national focus, an important economic development center of the Northern region, of the Northern coastal economic belt and the Kunming (China)-Hanoi-Hai Phong-Mong Cai-Fangcheng (China) economic corridor (according to Decision No. 368/QD-TTg approving the Adjustment of the Master Plan for the Construction of Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone to 2040).

In the master plan approved by the Prime Minister, Mong Cai City has allocated a land fund of 1,300 hectares, bordering Dongxing City (China) and located between Bac Luan II border gate with the access road and Bac Luan III bridge. This area is directly connected to the Van Don-Mong Cai expressway, convenient for connecting trade, promoting geographical advantages to expand cooperation activities, attract investment, trade, high-tech processing and manufacturing, and exchange and cooperation with Dongxing enterprises and partners.

The prospect of the cross-border economic cooperation zone here continues to accelerate economic growth, contributing more and more effectively to the economic development of Quang Ninh province and the comprehensive friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quang-ninh-day-manh-thuong-mai-vung-bien-244030.html