Exports in the first quarter of 2026 experienced strong growth, reaching nearly 97 billion USD thanks to vibrant activity at border gates and a significant contribution from the processed industrial goods group.

Since the beginning of 2026, goods exports have increased sharply, especially at border checkpoints. Export turnover reached 20.35 billion USD in the first half of March alone, an increase of 98.1% compared to the previous period, according to data from the Customs Department.
Cumulative exports from the beginning of the year reached 96.8 billion USD, an increase of over 17%, with the main driving force coming from vibrant activity at border gates. In Mong Cai and Lang Son , import and export turnover increased sharply, thanks to extended customs clearance hours, especially the pilot program of weekend procedures which helped reduce congestion, save costs and accelerate the flow of goods.

In addition, processed industrial goods such as electronics, telephones, and machinery continued to lead growth with increases of billions of dollars.

In response to new demands, the government is promoting the smart border gate model. Specifically, on March 18, 2026, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 453 approving the project to build smart border gates at the Kim Thanh and Ban Vuoc road bridge customs clearance points of the Lao Cai international border gate. This is considered an important step towards comprehensively modernizing management, inspection, and supervision activities at border gates.

According to the plan, a series of advanced technologies will be implemented, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, 5G networks, and automated transportation. The goal is not only to speed up customs clearance but also to effectively control the flow of goods in real time.

Notably, the targets set for 2030 are quite specific: doubling the capacity for transporting goods through the two customs clearance points; reducing logistics costs by 20-30%; and achieving a total import and export turnover of approximately 9 billion USD.

The project will be implemented from the second quarter of 2026 in two phases, with the first phase focusing on completing the institutional framework, infrastructure, and technology, and the second phase on operating and expanding the logistics system. More broadly, the smart border gate model in Lao Cai will become a model to be replicated at other border routes, especially in the context of cross-border trade increasingly depending on speed and cost.

Source: VTV