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Deadlock at Tan Thanh gate leaving farm produce spoiled
For the last ten days, the road from Pac Luong to Tan Thanh border gate, in Lang Son province, has unwillingly become the place for parking several hundred trucks carrying fruit. Several thousand tons of melon, bananas and dragon fruit, on the way to China, are facing the danger of becoming spoiled.
Trucks queuing at border gate
Several thousand tons of melon, bananas and dragon fruit, on the way to China, are facing the danger of becoming spoiled.
Several hundred trucks have been seen lying motionless on the only way to the border gate. There has been a heavy police presence here to help settle the deadlock, but no significant changes have been made so far. Meanwhile, more and more trucks carrying melons keep going there from the lowland, falling into the long queue at the border gate.
Huynh Van Van, who drives a 75K-1307 truck, pointed at the truck carrying 20 tons of bananas, and sighing “2/3 of the bananas have become ripe, but the truck still cannot land in Pu Zhai market in China. I’m afraid I will have to throw the bananas away.”
Van related that he began carrying the bananas from Hue City on March 28, and then got stuck when the truck got near the Tan Thanh border gate. He had to spend two days to travel 2km more. “The customs procedures have been completed, but I’m afraid we have to throw the bananas away, as 2/3 of Chinese dealers will only purchase unripe bananas,” Van said.
Like Van, several other hundred truck drivers have also had to cool their heels for the last several days because their trucks cannot move an inch.
Tuoi tre newspaper’s reporter met Trung, the truck driver, when he was bringing the melons to a house near here. Trung related that he has returned from Pu Zhai market, where he bargained away the melons. However, 4 tons of melons are still left, and he has to bargain away the rest of the melons in Vietnam at just VND1 million.
The deadlock in Pu Zhai market in China on April 1 was the same as the Tan Thanh border gate in Vietnam. A lot of trucks were seen parking on the road from the border gate to the two biggest fruit areas of the Pu Zhai market.
Merchants here said that two weeks ago, Vietnam’s melons were sold in China at yuan3.5/kg (VND2,500/yuan1). Meanwhile, the prices have dropped dramatically to yuan1/kg.
Deadlock because of bad forecasting
Explaining the serious deadlock at the border gate, Nguyen Huu Vuong, Head of the Tan Thanh Customs Agency, said that the export volume in recent days has increased unexpectedly, thus causing the deadlock.
Everyday, there are some 300-400 trucks carrying melons from the central region to China, while the customs agency can fulfill customs formalities for only 200 trucks per day. As such, more than 100 trucks get stuck everyday.
Vuong said that the deadlock occurs every March and April, when Vietnamese farmers pick up melons.
Meanwhile, the across-border trade with China has not been carried out under the international practice (commodities are shipped after contracts are signed). Vietnamese dealers automatically bring commodities to China and sell to buyers. If they cannot find buyers, they will have to stay in China and wait. As many trucks stay in China to seek buyers, this has caused the deadlock.
Phan said that on March 28, the Vietnamese Management Board of Tan Thanh border gate, together with the customs and national defense force had a working session with the Chinese relevant agencies to discuss a way out of the problem. The Chinese side has allowed trucks from Vietnam to be received at night as well, but the deadlock has not been eased, due to the overly high number of trucks.
Phan thinks that the deadlock will last until the end of April 2009.
VietNamNet, TT
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