The first batch of Luc Ngan lychee was exported through Dong Dang railway station

Success from the first shipment

Talking to reporters, Director of Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch Nguyen Huu Minh said that in order to meet the needs of Vietnamese and Chinese businesses, on the afternoon of June 5, the Customs Branch Dong Dang international railway station has carried out pilot export procedures for the first batch of Luc Ngan fabric products to China.

This is said to be a new direction, opening up opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products to be quickly exported to China in the context that land border gates still face many limitations as at present.

Dong Dang station Customs officers check and seal freight cars before the train leaves the station. Photo: H.Nu

Ratraco is one of three railway transport business units - members of Vietnam Railway Corporation.

To serve the 2023 lychee crop, the unit has prepared specialized freight vehicles that can meet the transportation needs of 200 tons to 300 tons of fresh lychees/day, meeting the demand. transporting fresh lychees by international railway to Guangxi and Yunnan provinces (China) and to the markets of the southern provinces of our country.

Accordingly, when transporting fresh lychees to China by international railway, Ratraco will bring specialized refrigerated containers to the enterprise's warehouse. After the goods are packaged and loaded into containers, Ratraco will transport them to the Kep international intermodal terminal for transportation to the international railway station border gate to complete the procedures to export the goods. For exporting fresh lychees to China by rail, businesses must complete procedures to export goods via official channels.

According to preliminary calculations, a refrigerated container of goods transported from Luc Ngan to Bang Tuong will cost about 30 million VND and a regular container will cost about nearly 20 million VND. Regarding travel time, after packing enough goods (about 20 containers/trip), from Luc Ngan to Bang Tuong station is expected to be approximately 12 hours (including customs clearance time).

According to Ratraco's representative, in the coming days, the unit will continue to cooperate with agricultural product import-export enterprises and Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch to carry out export shipments of fresh fruits, especially fresh fruits. fresh lychee products from Bac Giang to the Chinese market.

Ratraco provides refrigerated containers to preserve fresh lychees and transport them to Dong Dang international station for export to China. Photo: Tuan Duong

As one of the units with many years of exporting lychees, a representative of An Khang Co., Ltd. shared that although rail transport rates do not decrease much compared to road transport, travel time is faster, overcoming congestion of goods at the border gate. After this test batch, if the criteria and conditions are met, businesses will choose to use the transport of agricultural products and fresh fruits by rail.

Strategic, sustainable solution

Accompanying businesses and people, in addition to the efforts of agencies and competent forces, Dong Dang International Railway Station Customs Branch has currently informed and propagated to the business community so that businesses can understand. clarify the situation, thereby shifting to import and export of goods through the railway border gate.

At the same time, Dong Dang Station Customs has also been coordinating closely with Dong Dang Station to ensure good implementation of control, operation, and transportation of wagons and goods on the basis of strictly implementing the process. disease control, ensuring complete elimination of possible risks.

Talking to reporters, a representative of Lang Son Customs Department said that, facing the current situation of limited customs clearance activities, Lang Son Customs has implemented many plans and solutions to improve the capacity of export goods clearance. , creating favorable conditions for businesses and traders to export agricultural products and fresh fruits through border gates in the province.

Cargo train moves from Dong Dang international station to Pingxiang station (China). Photo: Tuan Duong

In particular, Lang Son Customs recommends that people and businesses register declarations in advance, so that when goods arrive at the border gate, they can immediately carry out export procedures without having to wait; Prioritize early customs clearance for fresh fruit goods; Arrange and arrange civil servants with professional qualifications to directly receive procedures until 11 p.m. to promptly advise and answer difficulties and problems for businesses. In particular, Lang Son Customs regularly holds talks with the Chinese side to grasp the situation and coordinates closely with functional forces at the border gate to create maximum favorable conditions for businesses and traders to export fruits and vegetables. fresh plants and agricultural products through the province.

However, according to a representative of Lang Son Customs Department, this is the main harvest season for fruits and agricultural products in localities across the country, so every day there are hundreds of vehicles transporting these items. Go to the border gate in Lang Son province to register for export procedures to China.

Although Lang Son Customs has planned and proposed many plans and solutions to speed up customs clearance, especially fresh fruit products, customs clearance of goods is still limited. Therefore, Lang Son Customs recommends that businesses research and choose to carry out export procedures for agricultural products and fresh fruits through Dong Dang international railway station. Because exporting agricultural products and fresh fruits by rail will be a strategic and sustainable solution.