Tan Thanh border gate which provides custom clearance for containers to export goods to China.

Vietnam’s fruit container trucks have been allowed custom clearance through China earlier than expected despite China's original plan to cease custom clearance for a week for the Lunar New Year holiday.

A Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association spokesperson said on January 5 that this was “good news for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export [for the start of the 2022 Lunar New Year]”.

In January, China had announced that it would stop customs clearance of goods via bordering Lang Son province for the holiday from January 31 to February 6.

However, two of three of the province’s border gates to China resumed custom clearance on February 3, with 115 containers exporting fruit cleared that day.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the association, said that during the spring season, price of fruits exported to China would be high due to the country’s cold weather, leading to high demand for imported fruits.

China is Vietnam’s largest buyer of fruits and vegetables, accounting for 53.7 percent of Vietnam’s export in 2021.

However, exports to the country have been falling over the last two years.

The country has been enforcing stricter regulations on agricultural produce imports in recent years.

Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the association, said that domestic businesses need to improve their capabilities to better satisfy China’s requirements and not lose market share to other exporting countries.

Vietnam aims to export up to 4 billion USD worth of fruit and vegetables in 2022.

Fruit and vegetable exports in 2021 hit 3.56 billion USD, an 8.6 percent rise compared to 2020.

Exports to the US and Europe saw high growth at 17.4 percent and 29.1 percent respectively./.