Vietnam-China border gate reopens after two-day closure over flooding

The Lao Cai-Hekou International Border Gate has reopened following a two-day closure caused by super typhoon Yagi.

Vuong Trinh Quoc, head of the Lao Cai provincial economic zone management board, said Tuesday that customs and immigration activities at the Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. II (Lao Cai-Hekou) resumed normal operations starting at 11 a.m.

The border gate had been shut due to flooding triggered by the typhoon, but operations resumed once floodwaters receded and the situation stabilized, he said.

The Lao Cai-Hekou International Border Gate is situated along a 182 km stretch of the border between Vietnam's Lao Cai province and China’s Yunnan province.

The border crossing, known for facilitating trade through the Ho bridge (Ho Kieu) over the Nam Thi river to the Ha Khau International Border Gate in Yunnan, handles an average of 500-600 import and export vehicles daily, primarily transporting agricultural products.

Prior to the reopening, approximately 160 Vietnamese container trucks and 695 Chinese trucks were stranded at the border.

According to the Lao Cai Border Gate Customs Branch, trade volumes have seen a significant increase in the first eight months of the year. Total import and export turnover crossed $1.56 billion, up 144% year-on-year. Exports increased 208% year-on-year to more than $1.1 billion, while imports went up 61% to $452 million.

According to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, as of 11 a.m., Wednesday, the typhoon, floods and landslides left 155 people dead and 141 others missing.

On Monday, the provinces of Phu Tho, Yen Bai, and Tuyen Quang banned vehicles from crossing nine bridges over concerns that strong floodwaters could collapse them. The move followed a bridge collapse in Phu Tho.

On Tuesday morning, the Hanoi Department of Transport announced restrictions on vehicles crossing the Chuong Duong bridge, one of the largest bridges spanning the Red River.