According to the customs staff of Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, in early 2022, due to the impact of the pandemic, the Chinese border tightened the policy of importing fruits to Thailand, resulting in a drop of more than 50% in fruit exports at the border of Nakhon Phanom.
Ms. Shuntariya, a customs officer in Nakhon Phanom Province, revealed that the annual data for the fiscal year 2021 shows that although the pandemic has affected various places, the border trade in Nakhon Phanom Province has been less affected. From September 2020 to October 2021, the import value of the Nakhon Phanom border trade was about 19 billion baht, and the export value was about 99 billion baht. The most exported products are fruits (durian, mangosteen, longan) and energy drinks.
The customs staff of Nakhon Phanom Province said that in the past two years (2020-2021), border trade has been less affected by the pandemic, but from the beginning of 2022 to the present, border trade has been hit hard, especially the export trade.
Thailand's export products start from the Nakhon Phanom port, pass through Laos and Vietnam, and finally arrive at the Dongxing port in China.
China's scrutiny of imported trucks in border areas has resulted in extended transit times. Originally, trucks only needed to stay at the two checkpoints (Pingxiang Youyi Pass and Qinzhou Dongxing Port) for 3-5 days, but since the Dongxing Port was closed indefinitely, only the Youyi Pass was left open, and only 20 vehicles were allowed to enter each day. In front of the checkpoint, there are 2,000 trucks waiting to be checked into the customs, resulting in the trucks waiting 10-15 days at the checkpoint. The ensuing problem is that the transportation of fruits is seriously affected because the fruit’s shelf life is limited and the transportation time is prolonged, which will cause the fruit to rot and incur damage. Therefore, the fruit export value at the border of Nakhon Phanom Province has dropped by more than 50%.
Source: Thailand Headlines