Chieng Khuong border gate, Son La is a bustling trading place between Vietnam and Laos.

Son La is a mountainous province in the Northwest of Vietnam, located 320 km from Hanoi on National Highway 6. The province has an area of ​​14,109.83 km², ranking 3rd in the country. The south of the province borders Thanh Hoa province and Huaphanh province - Laos, the southwest borders Luang Prabang province - Laos. Son La has a 274.065 km long Vietnam - Laos national border, with 06 border districts: Moc Chau, Van Ho, Yen Chau, Mai Son, Song Ma and Sop Cop with 17 border communes and over 90 thousand people in the border communes.

Son La province has 1 international border gate, Long Sap border gate (Moc Chau district), 1 national border gate, Chieng Khuong border gate (Song Ma district), 2 secondary border gates, Na Cai secondary border gate (Yen Chau district) and Nam Lanh secondary border gate (Sop Cop district) and 07 trails and openings. The number of business households in the border districts is up to nearly 4,000 households.

Although border trade activities between Son La and provinces of Lao PDR still face many limitations, including infrastructure, they have contributed significantly to promoting production and circulation of goods to meet the needs of production and life of border residents.

Realizing that promoting border trade infrastructure between Son La and the northern provinces of Laos will contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of the locality, Son La province has paid attention and carried out many activities to promote the exchange and purchase of goods by residents in the border area.

Long Sap border gate will be spent more than 80 billion VND to upgrade to an international border gate.

According to the Plan for implementing the Border Trade Infrastructure Development Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030 issued by the People's Committee of Son La province, the goal is to promote cooperation, development and connection of border trade infrastructure between Son La province and neighboring provinces of Laos; attract and socialize investment in building and developing border trade infrastructure.

In particular, focusing on attracting investment in logistics service centers and complexes in Long Sap and Chieng Khuong border gate areas to improve infrastructure in border gate areas; encouraging the development of a team of traders participating in business activities; improving the quality of human resources working in border trade development; building a database on border trade development.

This plan is expected to contribute to developing trade infrastructure in border areas, enhancing trade between Son La and neighboring localities of Laos.

The development of infrastructure and border trade in recent years has also contributed greatly to maintaining political security and social order and safety in the Vietnam - Laos border area. In particular, the management and monitoring of people and vehicles entering and exiting the border by the Border Guard at border markets has also been maintained in a stable and effective manner.

The border market in Phieng Khoai commune, Yen Chau district, is held once a year.

Currently, in Son La province, there are 05 communes in the border area that have invested in building markets, including: Chieng Khuong Commune - Song Ma District, Phieng Khoi Commune - Yen Chau District; Chieng Son Commune - Moc Chau District, Muong Lan Commune - Sop Cop District, Chieng Khua Commune - Moc Chau District. Of which, 02 markets (Chieng Khua Market and Muong Lan Market) are not operating effectively so their purpose of use has been changed and 03 markets are operating (Chieng Khuong Market, Phieng Khoi Market, Chieng Son Market). The remaining 12 communes have been planned for markets, however, due to limited economic conditions and sparse population, they have not invested in building markets, but there are only spontaneous market meeting points with a small number of buyers and sellers, exchanging goods.

Chieng Son border market in Chieng Son border commune - Moc Chau district was invested in construction in 2005 and put into use in 2007, with a total investment of 5,724.4 million VND from the central budget and support capital for border communes, solid market type. Business activities at the market mainly trade in food, foodstuffs, and essential consumer goods.

Chieng Son border market is located in Chieng Son border commune - Moc Chau district.

Chieng Khuong border market in Chieng Khuong border commune - Song Ma district was invested and built according to Decision No. 2245/QD-UBND dated September 21, 2007 of Son La Provincial People's Committee on the Economic - Technical Report on investment in construction of Chieng Khuong Market project.

With a total construction investment of 4,948.8 million VND (of which the state budget support capital is 3,500 million VND, and the people's contribution capital is 1,474.8 million VND). The type is a permanent market. The market plays an important role in promoting the exchange of goods, serving the consumption needs of border residents.

Phieng Khoai border market is located in Phieng Khoai border commune, Yen Chau district. The market was established and put into operation in 1997. Local residents gathered and contributed to build the market. The number of households doing regular business in the market is about 50. They sell food and essential consumer goods to serve people in the central area of ​​the commune cluster and neighboring areas. By 2017, the market was invested in construction from the local budget.

The number of traders regularly doing business and trading at border markets is on average from 30 to 50 households. Border gate officers and staff always carry out procedures, check, control, and supervise entry and exit, creating favorable conditions for border circulation in accordance with the laws of each country, thereby coordinating the inspection and control of import and export to ensure compliance with principles and procedures.

Huyen Nhi