China lifts restrictions at key border gate with Vietnam

Chinese customs authorities made the decision one day after Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien helped resolve the pileup of truck containers that has lasted a month.

As of Monday, there were 355 trucks waiting to cross the border to China in Lang Son, compared to over 4,000 a month ago.

But the trade ministry warned that due to tightened Covid-19 measures, clearance at border gates would not resume at pre-pandemic speed.

Vietnamese authorities have been calling farmers and exporters to sell their goods to China by using official quotas, which entails establishing sales contracts before delivery, to reduce the risk of loss in border trade.

China is the biggest buyer of Vietnam’s agricultural produce, accounting for 54 percent of total export value in the first 11 months last year, according to Vietnam Customs.