TAY NINH: A year-end surge in agricultural imports from Cambodia has been causing congestion at the Xa Mat International Border Gate in Tay Ninh Province, causing big losses to import–export businesses and disrupting daily life in its vicinity.
Many drivers said the sharp increase in the arrival of farm produce means vehicles have to queue up to enter the transshipment yard.
According to a trader from Tan Bien District in Tay Ninh Province, congestion at the border gate during peak hours drives up overnight parking costs and causes losses to cassava consignments, one of the main imports, hitting profits.
The biggest bottleneck at present is storage infrastructure, he said, explaining there is only one bonded warehouse that meets legal requirements, and businesses and traders are forced to rely on it, making congestion almost inevitable.
Le Van Khe, director of Hoang Phuc One-Member Co, Ltd, said the congestion has put great pressure on the company’s procurement and processing operations due to the additional costs for transshipment, loading and transport.
Phạm Van Dong, director of Thanh Dong Trading Co, Ltd, said if the congestion continues, Cambodian partners might divert their produce to other border gates to avoid delays, forcing companies to shift sourcing activities to other border gates, pushing up logistics costs.
People living along roads leading to the border gate have also been suffering as daily life is disrupted and traffic safety risks increase.
Tran Van An, a resident of Tân Lập Commune, said vehicles are often parked on both sides of the road near the border gate, forcing motorbike riders to weave through narrow gaps and increasing the risk of accidents.
Businesses have urged authorities to open additional transshipment yards or license temporary sites during peak seasons to ease congestion and ensure stable cross-border trade.
Nguyen Nam Hang Son, head of the Xa Mat International Border Gate customs office, said his officers coordinate with yard operators, quarantine agencies and others to regulate traffic and reduce inspection times to ensure most produce is cleared on the same day.
They also coordinate with their Cambodian counterparts to stagger vehicle movement across the border.
The Tay Ninh Province People’s Committee has agreed to extend the operation of a temporary inspection site until the new master plan for the Xa Mat Border Gate Economic Zone is approved.
Authorities agree that additional bonded warehouses and properly planned inspection sites need to be developed soon to enhance clearance capacity and facilitate seasonal trade in agricultural goods.
In December, the volume of agricultural produce and number of vehicles passing through the border gate jumped to US$64.35 million and 4,000, according to customs data. — Vietnam News/ANN
