On the morning of February 4, the Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance issued urgent Dispatch No. 8883/CHQ-GSQL directing the entire sector to simultaneously implement measures to remove bottlenecks and speed up customs procedures for imported food products.
Following the Prime Minister’s instructions, regional customs branches have been required to assign leaders and officers to work 24/7 to promptly process declarations, particularly for essential goods serving consumer demand.
The agency stressed the need to fast-track food imports with complete documentation in compliance with specialized ministries’ regulations, while proactively addressing obstacles to prevent prolonged delays that could disrupt business and production activities.
The Department of Customs emphasized the priority of swiftly processing imported food shipments, ensuring complete documentation in line with regulations and compliance with guidance from relevant ministries. Units were instructed to proactively resolve obstacles and prevent prolonged delays that could disrupt business operations.
For any issues arising during customs procedures, local sub-departments must immediately report to the Customs Department for timely resolution. As for data on food shipments still pending clearance at ports, units are required to compile and submit reports twice daily, before 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Reports must categorize goods into three groups as stipulated in appendices attached to Government Decree No. 46/2026/ND-CP dated January 26, 2026, which details implementation measures for the Law on Food Safety.
Customs units have also been tasked with reviewing and fully accounting for consignments that have registered declarations but remain uncleared, as well as goods that have arrived at border gates but for which businesses have yet to submit declarations, in order to adopt appropriate solutions and minimize congestion.
Meanwhile, the department’s Information Technology and Customs Statistics Division has been assigned staff to ensure electronic data systems operate continuously and smoothly throughout the peak period, preventing technical disruptions that could hinder clearance.
Separately, authorities reported stable and uninterrupted import-export activities at border gates in Lang Son Province, with no congestion recorded.
According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, a total of 2,052 vehicles passed through local border gates on February 3, up 132 vehicles compared with the previous day. Of these, 536 vehicles carried exports and 1,516 carried imports. Cumulatively, from the beginning of 2026 through February 3, the total number of vehicles reached 59,363.
Agricultural products accounted for the bulk of exports, with approximately 9,159 tonnes shipped on the day, while imports totaled about 4,819 tonnes. Clearance operations were organized in line with yard and warehouse capacity, with no unusual surges reported.
At key border gates such as Huu Nghi and Tan Thanh, traffic remained heavy but orderly, and customs clearance proceeded normally without bottlenecks. Local authorities said the number of vehicles waiting in yards remains low and within regulatory capacity.
Other crossings, including Coc Nam and Chi Ma, also maintained stable operations. No import-export activity was recorded at auxiliary border gates, while new vehicle imports and international rail freight services at Dong Dang Station continued as usual, helping ensure smooth goods circulation toward year-end.
