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Scrap not meeting import standards will be enforced to be re-exported

At the working session, Mr. Le Van Trien, Deputy Head of Customs Control and Supervision Division under Ho Chi Minh City said that as of 10th June, there were 3,220 scrap containers that had not carried out Customs procedures at Ho Chi Minh City’s ports. Of which, the quantity of scrap containers that had not carried out Customs procedures and were in stock over 90 days at ports was 2,255 containers. 2,181 containers were in stock at Cat Lai Port, 36 containers at VICT and 38 containers at Phuoc Long-Thu Duc Port.

In addition, 965 imported scrap containers not carrying out Customs procedures were in stock at ports from 30 days to 90 days. Specifically, 965 containers were in stock at Cat Lai Port managed by Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch Zone 1; 20 containers were in stock at VICT and Ben Nghe Port managed by Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch Zone 3.

Currently, in order to handle scrap containers which were in over 90-day storage at these ports, the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has requested Customs branches where scrap is in storage to classify category, quantity, weight, composition, properties of scrap goods, and report to the Council for handling goods in storage to identify the State-owned Property Rights for classified goods containers in accordance with provisions in Circular 203/2014/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance.

At the working session, the parties agreed some urgent measures to manage and handle over 3,000 scrap containers which are in stock at Ho Chi Minh City’s ports. Accordingly, the licensing agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will provide a list of enterprises which are granted import license to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department to compare with the quantity of imported scrap to these ports.

Through the comparison results, scrap containers without the license which are stored at the ports will be immediately handled rather than waiting for over 90 days from the arrival date as per provisions in Circular 203 of the Ministry of Finance.

For the scrap containers, which do not meet import standards as per regulations and affect the environment, they will be enforced to be re-exported. For scrap containers, which meet import standards, they will be liquidated for eligible establishments for recycling.

For shipping lines, when transporting scrap for enterprises, they must ensure that these enterprises have import license as per regulations and avoid the massive cargo transportation for storage at the ports, affecting the environment and business production at the ports and causing difficulties for the management.

In order to reduce the quantity of cargo arriving at Cat Lai Port, the Customs authority has permitted the Sai Gon New Port Corporation to transport a number of scrap containers into a port under the Corporation’s management for storage and handling.

According to the Sai Gon New Port Corporation, after applying measures that it only receives imported scrap containers with import license from 1st June 2018, the Corporation has suspended to receive scrap containers imported into 2 ports including Tan Cang- Cat Lai Port and Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port. Especially, from 1st June to 30th September 2018, the Corporation suspended receiving almost all scraps directly imported to these ports.

In the long term, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has proposed leaders to suggest the Government to take measures to tighten the licensing for the scrap import, especially plastic scrap, for avoiding affecting the environment.

Facing the increasing number of the scrap imports, in order to control and prevent the import that do not meet standards as per regulations, or take advantage of scrap import of banned and smuggled goods into Vietnam, from the beginning of 2018, the leader of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department requested Seaport Customs Branches to strengthen the inspection, supervision, reviewing and the carrying out of Customs procedures in accordance with regulations for the scrap imports. Complying with regulations on handling backlogged goods under Circular 203/2014/TT0-BTC of the Ministry of Finance, and establishing a unit in charge of monitoring the Customs procedures for the scrap import and handling backlogged scrap shipments.

Source:  Customs News