Transportation of import and export goods by rail: New method, many expectations

Binh Duong cooperated with Vietnam Railway Corporation to officially launch an international intermodal train transporting export goods from Song Than station to China, opening up a new, more efficient and safer transportation method, save costs, access agricultural commodity consumption markets, and China's industrial production center more easily.

The international intermodal train transporting Binh Duong's export goods departs from Song Than station to China.

Shorten time, reduce costs

Deputy Director of Binh Duong Customs Department Nguyen Thanh Binh assessed that in the general difficult context, opening more transportation methods by rail will help reduce transportation costs and shorten delivery time.  In particular, for agricultural products, using railways is the most optimal solution to help reduce costs, increase profits for businesses, and improve competitiveness.

“In reality in Binh Duong, transporting import and export goods by rail helps solve the overload of road transport, speed up the goods circulation, and increase import-export turnover of the province", Binh said. Also according to Binh Duong Customs leaders, another future benefit of this transportation service is to create conditions for the formation of a logistics center in the province and the entire Southern region, leading to an increase in the supply of accompanying services, creating jobs for workers, increasing budget revenue, economic growth, contributing to achieving the goal of economic restructuring of Binh Duong province.

Le Manh Ha, CEO of TBS Logistics Company, which is the first unit using this freight transport to China through Song Than station, shared: “The operation of an international intermodal train transporting freight from Song Than station to China is good news for export businesses in general and businesses providing services for exporting goods to China in particular. Previously, if they wanted to carry freight to China, businesses had to transport by road to Yen Vien station (Hanoi) or Dong Dang station (Lang Son), then go through procedures to open declarations to export to the Chinese market.  Now businesses can open declarations directly at Binh Duong Customs Department and Song Than station to export directly to China. This shortens time and reduces shipping costs by half."

Construction of a regional logistics center

Song Than International Terminal (Di An City) is the largest freight station in the South, this is a great traffic advantage of Binh Duong province. However, Song Than station has so far only served domestic goods transportation, has not participated in international transportation activities, and has not yet utilized its potential and advantages.

Binh Duong Customs Department advising Provincial People's Committee to upgrade infrastructure and apply freight transportation by rail is a new step. In the future, in Binh Duong's planning, Song Than international intermodal terminal will become a large-scale logistics center of the Southern region, opening up new, more effective methods of transporting import and export goods, assisting businesses to easily access to industrial, commodity production, auxiliary material centers of China.

Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR), said that rail transport activities in general and international intermodal transport activities by rail between Vietnam and China in particular have recently been upgraded. International intermodal transport by rail has become the top choice for businesses of the two countries. As a result, transport output has continuously grown over the years. At the end of 2022, the Vietnamese Government approved the plan "Improving international intermodal transport capacity by rail", setting a target in the coming years to increase the volume of goods transported internationally by rail by 3-4 times than the current number. This is an important premise for VNR to realize the goal of bringing the railway border gate deep into the mainland, exploiting the strength of railway transport to serve the import and export of businesses across the country, including Song Than Station of Binh Duong province.

Phan Thi Khanh Duyen, Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, asked the provincial departments and branches to actively coordinate with Vietnam Railway Corporation to plan for a logistics center in Thuan An City, Di An City, and Song Than station area, Song Than Industrial Park, aiming to become the logistics center of the province. In addition, to carry out the review, measurement, inspection of the current status, and determine the railway boundary at An Binh cargo yard to build a warehouse that meets Song Than international intermodal terminal standards. Focus on considering, instructing, coordinating, and creating favorable conditions for Vietnam Railway Corporation to organize freight transport by rail from Song Than station more effectively.

The export shipment on September 27, 2023 carried cassava starch, nearly 500 tons, packed in 19 40-foot containers transported to Song Than station and loaded onto train cars for transport to Yen Vien station (Hanoi).  Here, the shipment continued to be transferred to large train cars for transport to Dong Dang station (Lang Son) and completed export procedures to China. The shipment is expected to arrive in Zhengzhou (Henan province, China) on October 5, 2023. Binh Duong Customs Department previously worked with Customs Departments of provinces and cities to create favorable conditions for customs clearance.

It is expected that in early October 2023, Vietnam Railway Corporation will have a shipment (test, 1-2 containers from many different shippers) imported from China into CFS - TBS Tan Van warehouse (under the management of Binh Duong General Port Border Gate Customs Branch, directly under Binh Duong Provincial Customs Department). Then, depending on the situation and use purpose of the imported materials, businesses (goods owners) register customs declarations according to the corresponding types (business, processing, production, export...) to serve production, business and consumption in the area.

Reported by Tieu My, Cam Tu - Translated by Ngoc Huynh