First Shipment of Thai Longan via China-Laos Railway Crosses Mohan Railway Port
December, 9 2022
On December 2, 2022, Alongkorn Ponlaboot, Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and a member of the Fruit Board, announced the latest updates regarding the opening of the Mohan Railway Port for Thai fruit exports via the China-Laos Railway.
It was reported that the first batch of Thai longan, consisting of 20 containers, successfully crossed the Mohan Railway Port, marking the inaugural shipment since the completion and approval of the Mohan Railway Phytosanitary Inspection Station by Kunming Customs on November 22, 2022.
This shipment of longan, sourced from Chanthaburi Province, departed from Vientiane South Station, reaching the Boten border checkpoint on the Laos-China border within approximately five hours. Upon arrival, the shipment underwent customs clearance procedures at Mohan Railway Port, before continuing across the Laos-China border to its final destination in Chongqing.
This marks the first successful rail transport of Thai fruit across Laos into China, under the Thailand-China Fruit Trade Protocol. The Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Chalermchai Sri-on, had worked in advance to facilitate the opening of the Mohan Railway Port and Nong Khai Railway Port through negotiations with Chinese authorities in Beijing in late 2019, achieving the intended objective.
Under the Thailand-China Fruit Trade Protocol, all fruit exports and imports must undergo phytosanitary inspections (SPS measures) at entry and exit points. While Thai agricultural goods have been transported via the China-Laos Railway for the past year, no Thai fruit had been exported directly by rail from Vientiane to Kunming due to the lack of a phytosanitary inspection station at Mohan Railway Port. Previously, Thai fruit shipments required multiple steps, including transferring goods from rail to trucks at Boten and waiting for clearance at the Mohan truck checkpoint.
The establishment of the Mohan Railway Phytosanitary Inspection Station has opened a new logistics route for Thai fruit exports to China, offering a more time-efficient and competitive alternative. This significant development presents a major opportunity for Thai fruit growers nationwide, further enhancing the competitiveness of Thai fruit in the Chinese market.
This milestone marks great news for Thai fruit farmers, ensuring faster delivery times and improved logistics efficiency through railway transportation to China.