Trade ministry proposes lowering transport costs to support firms

In a dispatch sent by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh on February 25 to the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that it expects transport firms and shipping lines to reduce the fees of some port services to ease the burden on manufacturing and logistics firms.

According to the ministry, the novel coronavirus has taken a heavy toll on trade activities, including imports, exports and border trade, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.

To help firms overcome the hardship, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed the Ministry of Transport direct the relevant agencies to create more favorable conditions for farm produce to be exported overseas and regulate the transport process and goods exchange at borders.

Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Trade told the governments of provinces and cities to collaborate with the relevant agencies to review and make a list of types of farm produce being harvested to assess their consumption and find ways to boost exports.

According to some northern provinces’ Departments of Industry and Trade, from February 23 to 24, the number of container trucks full of farm produce crossing the border gates reached 390.

As many as 695 container trucks and 11 cargo carriages are stuck at the border gates in Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang and Lang Son provinces.