Vietnamese, Chinese border localities discuss ways to promote trade of agricultural products

Over 160 enterprises from Vietnam and Yunnan province of China gathered at a trade promotion conference held in the Vietnamese northern province of Lao Cai, on July 13, to discuss measures to boost the trade of agricultural products, fruit, seafood and furniture between the two sides.

Visitors explore booths introducing Vietnamese agricultural products exported to the Chinese market. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Hong)
Visitors explore booths introducing Vietnamese agricultural products exported to the Chinese market. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Hong)

Vietnamese enterprises from various localities across the nation sought opportunities to export their products to Yunnan, a fairly densely-populated Chinese province with a strong consumption demand for agricultural products, fruit and seafood.

Lao Cai, with its international border gates neighbouring Yunnan, such as Lao Cai, Muong Khuong and several auxiliary gates, is the bridge for trade, especially agricultural, forestry and aquatic products, to Yunnan and southwestern China. The key products exported through the Lao Cai Border Gate to the Chinese localities are rice, rubber, coffee, dragon fruit, shrimp and dried fish (from the central provinces and Mekong Delta); as well as maize, cassava, lychees, longan, banana, and pineapple (from Lao Cai and the northern mountainous provinces).

At the conference, the authorities concerned from both sides introduced their market demand and regulations on the export and import of agricultural products, fruit and seafood through the Lao Cai - Hekou (China) border gates. They also facilitated the Vietnamese Chinese enterprises in making direct contact based on commodity groups, as well as giving a free booth for each locality to introduce their products during the conference.

Delegates from both sides discuss measures to boost the trade of agricultural products, seafood and furniture between the Vietnamese and Yunnanese enterprises. (Photo: NDO/Quoc Hong)

In order to facilitate the export and import of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products, Lao Cai province is committed to directing its functional forces to facilitate the issuance of certificates of origin right at its border gates, as well as making it easier for enterprise to carry out e-customs declarations and other administrative procedures to shorten the time for the clearance of goods and reduce costs for businesses of both sides.

The Chinese side also promised to create favourable conditions for the imports of seafood, fruit and furniture into China through the border gates in Lao Cai. They vowed to host an annual border trade fair in Hekou and Lao Cai in turn, in order to hasten the construction of cross border cooperation complexes to facilitate trade in goods with Vietnam and with South and Southeast Asia.

Also at the event, representatives from the Yunnan trade office and trade departments from 12 Vietnamese localities situated on the economic corridor of Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh signed agreements to promote trade, with the emphasis on the building of a maximum incentive mechanism on customs clearance, transportation, and the export and import of the above items between Vietnam localities and Yunnan.