China-Laos border port clears 31 metric tons of medicinal herbs for the first time

(ECNS) -- On Wednesday, 31 metric tons of Chinese medicinal herbs from Laos entered China through the Mengkang Port on the China-Laos border in Yunnan Province, marking the first time the port has facilitated the customs clearance of medicinal herbs.

The medicinal herbs included glabrous greenbrier rhizome and suberect spatholobus stem.

The purchasers were two pharmaceutical companies based in Yunnan.

To optimize the process, the border inspection station established a "green channel" for the shipment and designated staff to assist the clearance.

Xiang Zhihong, head of a Yunnan pharmaceutical company, stated that the time from declaration to customs clearance for this batch of herbs was approximately 30 percent less than expected.

Kuang Longbin, instructor of the duty team at Mengkang Frontier Inspection Station, said they will continue to optimize the port clearance procedures to promote the development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Located in south Yunnan’s Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, the Mengkang Port is an important land passage connecting Yunnan to Laos and serves as an essential gateway for China to Southeast Asia.

In November 2024, the port was designated as a border port for the import of medicinal herbs, opening a new channel for the trade of medicinal materials between China and Southeast Asia.