Guangxi (VNA) – Customs clearance resumed at 8:30 (local time) on August 25 at the Ai Dian border gate in Ningming county, Chongzuo city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on China’s border with Vietnam, following a storm-related suspension.
Vehicles carrying Vietnamese durians, Chinese electronics and other goods passed through the gate’s four import-export lanes the same day.
Heavy rains earlier disrupted power and telecommunications services in Ai Dian town, disabling customs inspection equipment and forcing the suspension of clearance operations from August 23.
Following the suspension, Vietnamese and Chinese authorities agreed on measures to handle the backlog of vehicles and stagger traffic flows. They also collected information on goods awaiting customs clearance and prepared traffic diversion plans to expedite the movement of vehicles once power was restored.
Wang Hongfei, head of the office at Ningming Jiaming International Trade Development Co., said the company coordinated with border guards, customs authorities, and local agencies on the evening of August 24 to facilitate emergency customs clearance, processing 468 vehicle movements across the border. The effort helped keep Vietnamese fresh fruit and frozen goods moving while limiting losses for businesses.
Since January 2026, the Ai Dian border gate has operated a smart inspection system called “Rapid Customs Clearance”, reducing the inspection time per vehicle from about three minutes to just a few dozen seconds. The gate has also extended customs clearance hours to weekends and public holidays, boosting its capacity to handle import and export cargo.
The swift resumption of clearance operations will help minimise the risk of damage to fresh agricultural products and keep cross-border trade between China and Vietnam flowing./.
