Chairman of EuroCham Nicolas Audier: Coordinate closely to reduce clearance time to equal to Singapore

Chairman of EuroCham Nicolas Audier assessed the support of Vietnam Customs for enterprises. Photo: Đ.N

Nicolas Audier, Chairman of EuroCham said that at the dialogue “HCM City Customs Department and the business community partner collaboratively implement the EVFTA” held by Customs News and HCM City Customs Department in coordination with EuroCham recently.

According to Audier, the fact that half of goods importing from EU to Vietnam implemented and cleared via HCM City’s seaports showed the important role of the HCM City Customs Department in trade relations between Vietnam and the EU. The reduction of clearance time in this area would promote trade from increasing efficiency of EVFTA.

The Covid-19 pandemic had caused an interruption of supply chains around the world due to the closure of many border gates. In Vietnam, up to 83% of enterprises in the supply chain have been affected. According to Oliver Regner, Executive Director of EuroCham in Vietnam, this came from the fact that Vietnam was still heavily dependent on foreign supply. However, with the implementation of the EVFTA, 65% of goods imported from the EU into Vietnam will enjoy preferential treatment. It will open up good opportunities for both sides.

Regner also said that the participation in tge EVFTA of Vietnam would help increase trust of investors and from that many EU enterprises would participate in supplying machinery to modernise Vietnam's supply chain. With the good results of pandemic control, Vietnam would have more opportunities to exploit the EVFTA's advantages.

Evaluating coordination with Vietnam Customs in recent years, Audier said that EuroCham has worked with the HCM City Customs Department for nearly 20 years. In the process, EuroCham saw the efforts and initiative of HCM City Customs Department in reforming administrative procedures and supporting businesses. "The Customs Department was the one who proactively approached businesses, listened to problems and difficulties to answer and supported them," he said.

Along with the efforts of accompanying at the department level, Audier also highly appreciated the activeness of the General Department of Vietnam Customs in improving management processes so that customs regulations and procedures would be closer to international practices.

Sharing the concerns of European enterprises in the EVFTA, Audier said that EuroCham had 1,200 members, most of them exporters from the EU to Vietnam and invest in Vietnam. All members have studied very carefully the contents of the EVFTA. Currently, EuroCham has considered opening a chamber of commerce for EU enterprises as well as businesses having trade relations with the EU so that Vietnamese enterprises would have the opportunity to join and become a member of EuroCham.

Audier also added that, due to the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic, many European Parliament delegations could not come to Vietnam. Currently, EuroCham was being asked to make a report on the results after two months of implementing the agreement. In the coming time, there would be many EU missions to Vietnam and many seminars would be held to promote the implementation of the agreement. Accordingly, it was not only the flow of goods but also investment flows come from the EU into Vietnam.