Economic breakthrough at border gates: (Part 1) "Leverage" for development

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- With its strategic position as a gateway for trade between Vietnam and China, Lang Son has long identified the border gate economy (KTCK) as one of the leading growth drivers. However, in the context of fluctuations and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, this development has revealed barriers that need to be overcome. From the close attention of the Central Government, the drastic direction of the Party Committee and provincial authorities , the active participation of functional sectors, and the tireless efforts of the entire political system and business community, a solid "lever" has been created, promoting impressive growth in import and export turnover , creating strong breakthroughs for the whole period. Promoting the achieved results, Lang Son still has the aspiration to turn the KTCK zone into a national and international logistics center in the future, worthy of its existing potential and position .

Part 1: "Leverage" for development

Lang Son is known as a "meeting point" for cross-border trade flows. This is clearly demonstrated by the Government's recognition of Dong Dang - Lang Son Economic Zone as one of the eight key border economic zones in the country to focus on investment and development. Clearly identifying that potential and geographical location, overcoming difficulties, challenges and fluctuations in the world and in the country, from 2020 to present, the Party Committee, the government, functional sectors, and the business community have made efforts in directing, operating, and organizing the implementation of synchronous and drastic solutions, from which Dong Dang - Lang Son Economic Zone has still grown remarkably and achieved many breakthrough results.

Thanks to its special location, it has created a solid launching pad for Lang Son to be able to implement two main development directions: deep integration with the North to take advantage of the large market and close connection with the South, linking the development of industry, agriculture, trade, and tourism with localities on the economic corridor of Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh.

Comrade Hoang Van Nghiem, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation and members of the working delegation inspected the implementation of the project under the "smart border gate" pilot project (April 2025)

Take advantage of potential and advantages

Lang Son, the land at the head of the Fatherland, has more than 231 km of border adjacent to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (China) and has long held a strategic position and great potential for developing border gate economy. With a system of 10 pairs of border gates of all kinds (2 international border gates, 1 bilateral border gate, 7 secondary border gates/market pairs, 4 customs clearance routes/specialized roads for transporting goods at Huu Nghi international border gate), Lang Son is not only a vital trade gateway connecting Vietnam with the Chinese market but also an important link in the national and international economic corridor.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Head of the Management Board of Dong Dang - Lang Son Economic Zone, affirmed: Regional connectivity is one of the most outstanding advantages of Lang Son. The province lies on two key economic corridors: the inter-Asian economic corridor (connecting Nanning, China via Lang Son to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vietnam) and the trans-Asian economic corridor (connecting Kunming, China via Lao Cai to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vietnam). In particular, the inter-regional transport infrastructure system is increasingly complete with the Bac Giang - Lang Son expressway, the Dong Dang (Lang Son) - Tra Linh (Cao Bang) expressway and important national highways, which have significantly shortened the time to transport goods from major production centers in Vietnam to border gates, creating favorable conditions for the export of agricultural products, industrial goods and the import of raw materials, etc.

Head of Dong Dang - Lang Son Economic Zone Management Board exchanges information with reporters about the development of the economic zone

To exploit the above potentials and advantages, in recent years, agencies from the Central Government and Lang Son province have paid attention to directing the development of the economic zone in a systematic and synchronous manner. Specifically, implementing the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term, the Provincial Party Executive Committee and the Provincial Party Standing Committee have developed action programs and resolutions to focus on leading and directing the implementation, in which it is determined that "Continue to focus on rapidly developing the economic zone, creating a driving force to promote the province's economic growth", this is also one of the four key economic development programs of the province.

Every year, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Party Standing Committee have issued specialized directives and resolutions to lead and direct all areas: socio-economic, national defense, security and political system building, including the field of economic zones as well as the development of economic zones. At the same time, the content of economic zone development is integrated and specified in programs and action plans to implement resolutions and directives of the Central Committee and in the Supervision Program of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, the Inspection and Supervision Program of the Provincial Party Standing Committee every year.

Working delegation of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee and Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee surveyed customs clearance options for goods at Viettel Lang Son Logistics Park

The Provincial People's Council and Provincial People's Committee have passed resolutions, programs and plans. Implement the directive documents of the Central and Provincial Party Committees. Based on the programs and plans of the province, the Party Committees, local authorities and relevant organizations have developed and issued action programs and implementation plans in accordance with the practical situation, functions and tasks of each agency and unit...

Significant growth

By making the most of available potential and advantages and receiving attention from the Central to local levels, along with the high determination of all levels, sectors and business community, Lang Son border gate economy has achieved impressive results in recent years.

In import-export activities, over the past 5 years, customs clearance efficiency has been high, with peaks reaching over 2,000 vehicles/day; every year, about 3,700 - 4,000 enterprises and economic organizations carry out import and export of goods through the province. The total import and export turnover of all types of goods through the province's border gates in the period of 2021 - 2025 reached about 198 billion USD, the total import and export turnover opened at Lang Son Customs reached about 24.2 billion USD. From the beginning of 2025 to now, the total import and export turnover through Lang Son province's border gates reached nearly 40 billion USD, an increase of about 40% over the same period in 2024.

The main imported goods through the area are cars, auto parts, machinery, chemicals, fresh fruit. The main exported goods are fruits, tapioca starch, seafood. The main exported local goods are star anise, pine resin, black jelly, cement, clinker, wood chips, plywood...

Vehicles carrying import and export goods wait for customs clearance procedures at the wharf of Viettel Lang Son Logistics Park.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Vuong, Deputy Head of the Customs Branch of Region VI shared: The border gates of Lang Son province have been operating at full capacity recently. At the same time, 100% of cargo vehicles are currently making online declarations on the Digital Border Gate Platform before entering Huu Nghi International Border Gate and Tan Thanh Border Gate and are processed by competent authorities on the Digital Border Gate Platform. This helps the customs clearance of goods to always be smooth with very high clearance efficiency. Currently, on average, the competent authorities at the border gates of Lang Son province carry out customs clearance procedures for an average of 1,650 vehicles carrying goods every day, with peak days carrying customs clearance procedures for over 2,000 vehicles carrying import and export goods. At the same time, in just the first 7 months of 2025, the total import-export turnover of all types of goods through the province has reached nearly 50 billion USD, an increase of nearly 40% over the same period in 2024 and almost equal to the whole year of 2023 (in 2023 it reached 52 billion USD). But this shows that the investment in building and upgrading essential infrastructure and digital infrastructure of KTCK has clearly demonstrated its effectiveness.

From the bustling import-export activities, over the past 5 years, the economic growth rate in the Economic Zone of Lang Son province has always been higher than the average of the whole province. The economic structure in the Economic Zone has shifted in a positive direction, the proportion of the service sector and the industry - construction sector is increasing and the agriculture and forestry sector is gradually decreasing, in line with the general trend of the province as well as the whole country, contributing to strengthening foreign relations, increasing budget revenue, solving employment, reducing poverty, improving people's lives...

Means of transporting import and export goods through Chi Ma border gate (Mau Son commune, Lang Son province)

Ms. Tran Thi Kim Oanh, representative of Hieu Hien Production and Trading Company Limited (Hanoi) happily said: Our company has regularly imported raw materials for production such as plastic beads and textile products from China to Vietnam for many years. Thanks to the policies of the Central and the province, it has created favorable conditions for businesses to operate in Lang Son, so the business has operated stably, had a good growth, and contributed significantly to solving jobs for many workers in and outside the province.

The achievements in the past 5 years have affirmed the "leverage" role of the border gate economy for the overall development of Lang Son province. This is a solid foundation for Lang Son to continue to break through, reach out, and aim to become one of the growth poles, the economic center of the Northern Midlands and Mountains region and a national and international logistics center in the near future.

Some programs and resolutions issued by the Party Committee and government of Lang Son province during the 2020 - 2025 term:

Action Program No. 04-CTr/TU dated November 6, 2020, Action Program No. 23-CTr/TU dated August 27, 2021 of the Provincial Party Executive Committee to implement the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress; Resolution 136-NQ/TU dated November 20, 2023 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership in building and developing Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone to 2030; Decision No. 318/QD-UBND dated February 8, 2024 of the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee on perfecting the Steering Committee for building Dong Dang - Lang Son Border Gate Economic Zone; Plan No. 112/KH-UBND dated May 19, 2021 implementing Action Program No. 04-CTr/TU dated November 6, 2020 of the Provincial Party Executive Committee to implement the Resolution of the 17th Lang Son Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term.

  (To be continued)

Source: https://baolangson.vn/but-pha-kinh-te-cua-khau-5057225.html