Lao Cai: Considering promoting import and export activities via railway

Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee and Vietnam Railway Corporation recently had a working session to discuss solutions to enhance logistics connectivity to promote consumption and export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

Lao Cai province has 3 railway lines including 1 national railway line and 2 dedicated lines.

Of which, the Hanoi – Lao Cai railway line is located on the Kunming – Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong, Quang Ninh economic route, playing a very important role in transporting passengers and goods between Yunnan province – China and Vietnam. The entire route is 296 km long (the section through Lao Cai is 62 km long).

In recent years, railway transport activities, especially international intermodal transport by railway, have been very active and effective. In particular, the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong route connects with the Chinese railway through Lao Cai border gate station.

Exported goods are mainly agricultural products, fruits, and various minerals from the South to China.

Imported goods are mainly raw materials for production (tobacco leaves, coal, rubber, etc.), fertilizers and chemicals, etc.

Goods in transit from China to other countries or to other provinces of China and vice versa, such as fertilizers, chemicals, various ores, etc.

However, Lao Cai still faces some difficulties and obstacles in the import and export of goods such as: there is no large international logistics center; the number of logistics enterprises operating in the area is large, but most of them are small-scale, with limitations in the application of information technology, especially e-commerce; limited transport infrastructure, and ineffective support from information technology, so logistics costs in Lao Cai are quite high, reducing the competitiveness of services and goods of enterprises in the area.

To promote import and export activities by rail through Lao Cai, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Railways Corporation Dang Sy Manh proposed that Lao Cai province issue policies to support and promote import and export enterprises to increase import and export of goods via railways and transit to third countries.

Discuss with China to have a stable import and export tax policy, build an area for inspection, control, quarantine and customs clearance of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products transported by rail; have policies to encourage customers and enterprises to use railway transport services.

On the Lao Cai province side, Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, suggested that Vietnam Railways Corporation continue to make recommendations and proposals to the Ministry of Transport and related ministries and branches to actively discuss and hold talks to request Yunnan province (China) to build an area for inspection, control, quarantine and complete the conditions for customs clearance of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products.

Support Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee to study and promote the construction of the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong standard gauge railway; complete the plan to connect the dual gauge railway (1,000 mm and 1,435 mm gauge) between Lao Cai station (Lao Cai province, Vietnam) and Ha Khau Bac station (Yunnan province, China).

Support Lao Cai province to study and complete the construction of a centralized place for gathering, inspecting and supervising import and export goods; the place for gathering and storing goods for import and export procedures is separated from the place for gathering domestic goods.

Source: Haiquanonline