Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Industry and Trade TranTuan Anh held phone talks with Director of China’s General Adminiꦅstration of Customs Ni Yuefeng and Minister of Commerce Zhong Shanon April 17 to identify measures aimed at addressing the growing backlog of💦 Vietnamese exportsat border areas since the beginning of this month.

Thetalks were part of the efforts to maintain trade between the two neighboursamid COVID-19. The officials agreed to enhance cooperation and create favourableconditions for bilateral trade, therefore assisting the two countries’ businesscommunities now and in the immediate future. Ni and Zhong pledged to direct local authorities and customsunits at the Tan Thanh - Po Chai border gate to ease the congestion of goods. Customs clearance will resume and be available daily from8am to 11am and 12pm to 4pm (Vietnam time). The Chinese side suggested simplifying inspection procedureson farm produce, transferring goods to other border gates, and increasing the importationof farm produce via Pingxiang - Dong Dang railway station. In order to boost the export of Vietnamese farm produce to China,Minister Anh proposed the General Administrationof Customs and Ministry of Commerce of China soon approve newborder gates designated for fruit, food, and fisheries imports, allow the Pingxiang- Dong Dang railway station to import more types of farm produce, and for severalVietnamese types of farm produce to enter China via official channels, such as grassjelly, swift nest products, sweet potatoe, and durian, which are awaiting finallegal procedures. The minister also called on China to quickly complete legalprocedures to allow the import of Vietnamese passion fruit, avocado, pomelo,coconut, custard apple, and water apple, as well as permit more Vietnamese enterprisesto export to the country. He also suggested extending the validity of the list of fish powder exportersand restoring the export status of several rice and fisheries enterprises. Both sides discussed measures to facilitate trade on the backof Industry 4.0 and reached consensus on online trade promotion activities. They vowed to create favourable conditions for businesses inthe fields of machinery, equipment, fabric, footwear, and electronic spare parts,thus ensuring supply chains and domestic production. The officials also debated post-pandemic action plans to supportbilateral trade and businesses as well as the signing of an MoU on cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministryof Industry and Trade and China’s General Administrationof Customs,and agreed to an inter-sectoral cooperation programme to simplify customs clearanceprocedures and prevent trade fraud. Since late March the Ministryof Industry and Trade has actively contacted authorities in Guangxi and Yunnan provincesto ensure smooth trade between both sides./.