Mong Cai city in the northern border province of Quang Ninh and China's Dongxing city have agreed to implement a pilot programme extending the operating hours of the Bac Luan II border gate in order to facilitate the handling of goods, reduce congestion, and increase trade volume. Accordingly, from September 1, the border gate will be opened daily from 7am to 8pm (Vietnam time), including holidays and weekends (excluding New Year holidays), for a three-month trial. Mong Cai also proposed that Dongxing reduce customs clearance fees for businesses, improve efficiency in handling import and export goods at the Mong Cai-Dongxing border gate pair, and adopt flexible goods control mechanisms similar to those at other Vietnam-China border crossings. Source: Vietnam News Agency