Border traders pack up as Chinese goods lose edge
Print 
More than 30 percent of traders near the Tan Thanh Border Gate with China in the northern province of Lang Son have shut down recently after customers turned their back on Chinese products en masse.
The Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate management board said 343 out of 1,100 small traders had shut shop.
Nguyen Van Nhi, who has been selling electronic goods at Tan Thanh for 10 years, attributed the slump in sales to the narrowing gap in prices between Chinese and Vietnamese products.
Dinh Van Thu, another trader, said his sales had dropped by 40 percent this year.
Vi Thi Bich Ky, a trade expert at the Center for Tan Thanh Border Gate Development, said many domestic manufacturers were now strong enough to compete with the Chinese.
The Dong Dang – Lang Son Border Gate management board said 343 out of 1,100 small traders had shut shop.
Nguyen Van Nhi, who has been selling electronic goods at Tan Thanh for 10 years, attributed the slump in sales to the narrowing gap in prices between Chinese and Vietnamese products.
Dinh Van Thu, another trader, said his sales had dropped by 40 percent this year.
Vi Thi Bich Ky, a trade expert at the Center for Tan Thanh Border Gate Development, said many domestic manufacturers were now strong enough to compete with the Chinese.
