Trade officials in Nakhon Phanom are negotiating to speed up fruit exports through Laos to China, which are being held up by Covid-19 controls. Anuphap Saenkham, vice president of the provincial border trade department, said the province is the main gateway for fruit exports to China. Border closures as a result of the pandemic have seriously affected trade. Before the pandemic, more than 120 billion baht worth of fresh fruit passed through the border each year. Since then, Chinese authorities have ramped up restrictions to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak along the border. Only 10-20 lorries can n…