After three adjustments to the planning, up to now, the Lao Cai border-gate economic zone has been increased by the Government to nearly 16,000 hectares, continuing to add synchronous and modern infrastructure, developing logistics, and developing industrial clusters, urban areas, trade and services to form a dynamic and highly efficient economic region. 

In Lao Cai border-gate economic zone, there are currently 02 industrial zones, namely Bac Duyen Hai Industrial Park and Dong Pho Moi Industrial Park. In addition to the existing border gate economic zone, there is Tang Loong Industrial Park in Bao Thang district, Lao Cai province, the occupancy rate in industrial parks is over 82%.

The border gate economic zone currently attracts 159 registered investment projects with a total registered capital of over VND 12,821 billion, of which: 130 projects have been put into operation, 09 projects are under construction, 08 projects are being completed on investment and construction procedures; 12 stopped implementing because it is no longer consistent with the adjusted plan.

Detailed planning of logistics area of Kim Thanh - Ban Vuoc.

Revenue of projects in the border gate economic zone in the period of 2016 - 2020 reached over VND 167,512 billion, an increase of over 200% compared to the period 2010-2015; tax payment reached 10,862 billion VND, creating jobs for more than 7,300 people with the average income of employees reaching 7 million VND/person/month.

Currently, there are more than 600 enterprises that regularly import and export goods through Lao Cai border-gate economic zone, in the period 2001-2021, import-export turnover increases by an average of over 15% per year, from the total value of export and import of 210 million USD in 2020, by 2021, will reach over 1.66 billion USD. Lao Cai border gate is one of the few Vietnamese border crossings with a trade surplus.

Infrastructure of Lao Cai border-gate economic zone is increasingly complete, meeting the requirements of service and tourism development: border-gate warehouse infrastructure, market system, hotel, restaurant... service services of import and export of goods through the border gate. The infrastructure of the industrial park (internal roads, electricity and water supply systems) has been relatively synchronously invested. The maintenance and repair of infrastructure works are maintained in accordance with regulations.

The goal of Lao Cai province by 2025 is to become a center of economic exchange, foreign affairs and international cooperation with Yunnan province (China); tourism development, and border gate services. Accordingly, in the coming time, Lao Cai province will invest in developing the border gate economic zone associated with the development of Lao Cai city to become a grade I urban area and a hub for goods transshipment and a large logistics center on the economic corridor Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong; forming a "nuclear" international border gate area with an area of about 11 km2 towards Bat Xat, opposite to Ba Sai - China with complete infrastructure.

In the immediate future, prioritizing investment in the development of the border-gate economic zone in the direction of trade, import-export, services, investment, urban areas, concentrated industries, amusement parks, finance, banking and other areas. other functional areas and forming a cross-border economic cooperation zone between Lao Cai and Yunnan province, China, thereby creating a breakthrough to become a key driving economic zone not only of Lao Cai but also a driving force of the Northwest region.

Lao Cai province will also implement specific preferential policies to attract investment in the border gate economic zone, accelerate the growth of import and export turnover, border gate services, tourism and entertainment of the province.

Lao Cai is making efforts to build a border-gate economic zone to become a hub for goods transshipment of the countries of the Mekong sub-region, ASEAN, and China; is a modern logistics center synchronously connected with the system of seaports, airports, railway stations, road traffic networks... The continued improvement of the business investment environment is identified by Lao Cai Province as a vital factor to realize the goal of developing the border economic zone.