THE northern Vietnamese province of Lang Son has decided to stop trucks loaded with fruits from heading to its border with China for 10 days starting Feb 16.
Officials said the move comes as over 1,000 trucks were still stuck in the province awaiting clearance from the Chinese side.
According to a Vn Express report, the provincial Department of Industry and Trade said the total number of trucks waiting at the three border gates of Huu Nghi, Tan Thanh and Chi Ma was 1,640 as of last Friday morning.
Some 1,390 of them were carrying fresh fruit, accounting for nearly 85 per cent of the trucks there.
Customs clearance speed has come down tremendously due to China's strict Covid-19 measures and only between 70 and 90 trucks are able to cross the borders daily.
Officials said around 160 to 180 trucks reach the border gates every day and most of them were carrying fresh fruits like dragonfruit, watermelon, jackfruit and mango.
They said if this continues, it will further worsen congestion at the border and affect businesses as well as farmers.
The Vn Express said the congestion at the northern border gates started in Dec 2021 after China strengthened its anti-Covid prevention measures.
By the middle of last month, many Vietnamese business owners were rerouting the fruits to the domestic market and sold them at very cheap prices, as they were afraid the fruits will rot.
Exports to other countries were also stepped up as officials felt new markets were crucial to contain the problem while at the same time reducing their dependance on the huge Chinese market.
The Chinese border situation had also led the government and relevant departments to hold many meetings to find a solution to the issue but nothing has worked out so far.
According to Vietnam's Customs, the country earned US$1.75 billion from exporting fruits and vegetables to China in the first 11 months of 2021, up 3.6 per cent year-on-year despite Covid-19 impacts.
China remained Vietnam's top fruits and vegetables export market with a market share of 54 per cent in the 11-month period.