Cao Bang Customs focuses on managing temporary import and re-export goods, bonded warehouse

Customs officer of Po Peo Customs Branch inspected seal of temporary import and re-export container at Inspection and Supervision area for import-export goods of Viet Long Co., Ltd. Photo: T.Bình

Comparison with other locals in the North, one notable point in Cao Bang is that the Government has established Border Economic Zone spreading almost over border districts of Cao Bang. According to Decision 20/2014/QĐ-TTg of Prime Minister, Cao Bang Border Economic Zone has a total area of 30,130 ha, spread to 37 villages, 3 border towns of 7 districts with 265km of boundary and is contiguous to 4 districts Na Po, Tinh Tay, Long Chau, Dai Tan (China). It also has many border gates, open path, cargo clearance point for import-export goods.

It facilitates to the business community in import-export goods, but it also causes great pressure to competent forces in the management especially temporary import and re-export type, bonded warehouse which is more risky and complicated. Leader of Cao Bang Customs Department said that, in order to ensure management requirement, besides of complying to regime, policy that granted by authority, People’s Committee of Cao Bang also directed and requested competent force to coordinated and tightly control to ensure that goods is supervised for actual export in accordance with regulation, try not to let violated goods slipping into inland.

According to deputy director of Cao Bang Customs department Le Viet Phong, when businesses have temporary import and re-export consignments and sent to bonded warehouses in the area, they must register with the Management Board of border economic zone with information on time, the location of re-export ... Although the area of the border economic zone is wide, the re-export of goods is concentrated only at some border gates, open path, major clearance points such as Ta Lung, Na Lan, Tra Linh, Po Peo, Bi Ha... These locations are always having Customs units on duty to monitor and manage the actual exporting goods.

"Defining a wide management area, complex relief, many open paths, cargo clearance points, leader of Cao Bang Custom Department directed the border Customs Branches, competent forces must always be proactive in grasping, monitoring, analyzing and evaluating information for effective management but still ensuring to facilitate to the business community, including temporary import and re-export enterprise and bonded warehouse. The supervision of the actual export must comply with regulations and procedures, avoid smuggled goods is being slipped into the domestic market, "Deputy Director Le Viet Phong said.

According to the leader of Cao Bang Customs Department, besides the unit’s efforts, the Department has always received the guidance and prompt attention of the General Department of Vietnam Customs. In particular, up to now, General Department of Vietnam Customs has considered and approved 11 locations for gathering, inspecting and supervising import and export goods in Cao Bang, focusing mainly on Ta Lung border gate (Phuc Hoa district); Tra Linh border gate; the border area of Trung Khanh district ... and 3 bonded warehouses. Gathering point and bonded warehouses with the material facilitation that ensure compliance with regulations, especially the system of the rigid railing, surveillance cameras ... Therefore, goods that are waiting for re-export have enough space in the warehouses for detention and also help the Customs authority to manage, prevent the storage conditions that do not comply to a prescribed area, contributing importantly to management efficiency.

On 4/10, we were present at the area of the Po Peo border gate (Trung Khanh district). This area has two locations for gathering, inspecting and supervising export and import goods that have just been established, are Viet Long and Duc Huy, managed by the Po Peo Customs Branch (Cao Bang Customs Department). At the beginning of October, there was a long holiday in China, so the re-exported goods were insignificant; the goods were transferred from Hai Phong (temporary import border gate) to Cao Bang and moved to gathering point waiting for re-export. The gathering point of Viet Long Co., Ltd (Dinh Phong commune, Trung Khanh district) with a total area of over 20,000 square meters, has been recognized by the General Department of Vietnam Customs in 7/2016. Although it is located far from Trung Khanh district and road is relatively difficult, the enterprise has invested infrastructure fully, synchronized in accordance with the operation system, the office of Customs force, residence for drivers, electrical systems, electronic scales, rigid railing, surveillance cameras... Thanks to that, even though it has been in operation for more than a year, the gathering point of the Viet Long Company has become the credible address of many enterprises when transferring re-exported goods to Po Peo Border Gate.

"This gathering place has surrounded on 3 sides by hills and a forest, in the front is a road with rigid railing with a surveillance camera system and connected to the system of Customs Branch Office. Besides that, Customs authority has assigned a number of Customs officers to implement tasks in 24/7 thus goods are managed strictly. A number of goods in and out of the gathering place are checked and sealed by the Customs officers and updated in time to the software system, "- said Director of Po Peo Customs Branch Tran Ngoc Nghiem.

At Ta Lung border gate - the biggest border gate with the highest cargo volume in Cao Bang province, the Manager of Ta Lung Customs Department - Nguyen The Bang said that the notable point in the last few months is the increase in the volume of goods sent to bonded warehouses while the temporary import and re-export goods is reduced. At the end of September, the volume of goods deposited in bonded warehouse valued at $US 427 million, increased 477.33% over the same period last year, while temporary import and re-export goods at Ta Lung border gate (not counted goods at Na Lan open path that supervised by the Branch) was also reduced by 54.25%. According to Mr. Nguyen The Bang, the reason could be the business type of bonded warehouse is not required to pay provisional tax so many enterprises focus on operating this type.

"Although the goods in the type of bonded warehouse increased significantly, the bonded warehouse system in the area with synchronous infrastructure and are next to the border as the bonded warehouse of CT Company still meet the demand and ensure management requirements "- Manager of Ta Lung Customs Branch said.