Customs and Lang Son province agree on a management plan for the implementation of the Smart Border Gate.

At the working session on December 10, 2025, leaders of the Customs Department and the People's Committee of Lang Son province agreed on many important contents to coordinate and accelerate the implementation of the pilot project to build a smart border gate, aiming to modernize import and export activities, improve customs clearance capacity and increase connectivity with China.

Accelerate the implementation roadmap and strengthen "soft connections".

In accordance with Decision No. 2521/QD-BTC dated October 24, 2024, of the Ministry of Finance on the issuance of the Plan for implementing tasks in Decision No. 865/QD-TTg on the pilot project for building smart border gates, on July 31, 2025, Vietnam Customs sent a letter to the General Administration of Customs of China regarding the submission of a draft Cooperation Agreement and proposed a timeframe for negotiations between the two sides on the “Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Finance of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China on sharing import and export goods data and information for the pilot implementation of smart border gates”.

The General Administration of Customs of China assigned Nanning Customs to lead the exchange and negotiation with Vietnam Customs. Accordingly, in response to the letter from Vietnam Customs, Nanning Customs acknowledged that enhancing the "soft connectivity" of the Vietnam-China Smart Border Gate is one of the important tasks in promoting the construction of the Smart Border Gate, which includes sharing information and goods monitoring procedures.

Therefore, both sides are jointly studying the Agreement and will soon implement the negotiations as planned. The Chinese side proposed that Vietnam promptly implement "pre-declaration" for imported goods to facilitate the operation of smart border gates and improve customs clearance efficiency.

However, Nanning Customs believes that the key task in building the smart border gate is currently completing the infrastructure (hard connection). At the Huu Nghi - Huu Nghi Quan and Tan Thanh - Po Chai dedicated cargo transport routes, China has basically completed the infrastructure, but Vietnam's construction progress is still slow, with many items still lacking a defined completion date.

Currently, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Border Management Office is actively implementing this initiative. Initially, the Guangxi Border Management Office contacted relevant Vietnamese enterprises; however, Vietnam has not yet designated an enterprise to operate warehouses at the border crossing.

Therefore, the Chinese side proposed that the Vietnamese side quickly identify the entity responsible for building the Smart Border Gate, based on the established plan, and accelerate the completion of related tasks such as infrastructure construction, information sharing and connectivity, and monitoring procedures… in order to soon begin pilot operation of the Smart Border Gate.

Requires synchronized infrastructure and unified management.

During the meeting, leaders of the Customs Department and the People's Committee of Lang Son province both acknowledged that while China has basically completed the hard connection, Vietnam's progress is still slow in some aspects.

Emphasizing this point, Deputy Director of the Customs Department Au Anh Tuan stated that operating a smart border gate model – where automated guided vehicles (IGVs) and automated cranes replace human labor – requires absolute synergy between physical infrastructure and digital processes. Therefore, the immediate priority is to address the issue of functional zoning planning.

Deputy Director Au Anh Tuan requested that Lang Son province promptly identify the route for dedicated IGVs, the area for installing monitoring equipment and electronic barriers, and designate enterprises to invest in warehouses to ensure timely infrastructure connection with the neighboring country.

Furthermore, in order for the process to be developed in line with the reality at the Smart Border Gate area, the Customs Department needs close coordination with the People's Committee of Lang Son province in planning the Smart Border Gate area and agreeing on management methods.

Permanent Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Son province, Dinh Huu Hoc, speaks at the working session.

Representatives from the Customs Department emphasized that Lang Son province needs to develop a plan to procure specialized equipment necessary for state inspection, supervision, and control of customs to pilot the construction of a smart border gate.

Investing in specialized equipment for state inspection, supervision, and control of customs is necessary for the pilot implementation of the Smart Border Gate project. The Customs Department also noted that the level of investment should be determined during discussions and collaborations between the Customs agency and the People's Committee of Lang Son province regarding the current infrastructure progress at the Smart Border Gate.

Specifically, in the planning of functional zones within the Smart Border Gate area, the planning diagram of the Lang Son Provincial People's Committee must clearly describe and show the locations of IGV vehicle tracks, import goods storage areas, export goods storage areas, container scanning machine installation areas, and the administrative building area for relevant agencies within the Smart Border Gate area.

Furthermore, close coordination is needed to finalize investment items and implement synchronized infrastructure and information database connections with China for the pilot operation of the smart border gate. Specifically, the People's Committee of Lang Son province needs to provide the Customs agency with information on the unit investing in and managing the IGV (Independent Gated Guided Vehicle) and automated crane systems; and the enterprise investing in warehouses and storage facilities for import and export goods in the smart border gate area.

At the end of the working session, the leaders of Lang Son province and the Customs Department both expressed their determination to establish a hotline to coordinate and immediately address any arising issues. Representing the Customs Department, Deputy Director Au Anh Tuan affirmed that the Customs Department will work alongside Lang Son province to make the Huu Nghi – Huu Nghi Quan border gate a model for digital transformation, realizing the goal of 24/7 customs clearance and minimizing logistics costs for businesses.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/hai-quan-va-tinh-lang-son-thong-nhat-phuong-an-quan-ly-trong-trien-khai-cua-khau-thong-minh-10400161.html