Customs strengthen the control and prevention of African Swine Fever at border gates

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Customs officers inspect imported goods. Photo: M.H

So far, there have been 12 countries, including China, Russian Federation, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Moldova, Finland, Romania, South Africa, Ukraine and Zambia that have reported on the outbreak of African Swine Fever.

Also, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has requested local Customs departments to strengthen the anti-smuggling and close coordination with competent agencies and local governments’ in the prevention, investigation and handling of violations for the illegal transportation, smuggling of pigs and pork products.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has directed the implementation of customs procedures for imported pigs and pork products as follows:

Goods must be controlled at the first entry border gate; the procedures for Customs branch transfer or bringing goods to preservation places are not allowed.

Customs are ready to work overtime to promote exporting pork VCN – In the document sent to provincial Customs Departments, General Department of Customs requests the units ...

At the same time, local customs departments can only implement Customs clearance when goods have the quarantine certificate issued by the quarantine agencies. The time for temporary implementation is from the date of receiving this official letter until the new official letter is issued.

Not to carry out Customs clearance and notify relevant agencies for handling if detecting pigs and pig products that are smuggled, or suspected of smuggling, even donations and gifts from organizations, individuals and residents in the border areas.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has also requested local customs departments to report on situations and the handling results of infected imported pigs and pork products (if any) to the General Department.

According to information from some local customs departments in the border provinces adjacent to China (Lao Cai, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Quang Ninh, Ha Giang), currently, these departments have strengthened control measures to promptly prevent the outbreak of African Swine Fever in Vietnam.

According to the representatives of these departments, recognizing the danger of this disease to the health of the Vietnamese people, the departments have intensified the inspections and control at the main border gates as well as at sub-border gates, the trail and tracks to timely prevent pork infected with African Swine Fever being smuggled into Vietnam.

It is known that African Swine Fever was detected in China at the beginning of 2018, however, many comments say that the virus may have appeared in China at least from June 2018, even from April. After the outbreak was discovered, the Chinese authorities have taken strict measures to isolate and prevent the spread of the disease.

The spread of the ASF virus in China has raised concerns. On August 30, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has urgently sent an official letter to the ministries and localities about actively preventing the risk of ASF outbreak in Vietnam.

It is strictly forbidden to illegally trade and transport pigs and pork products across border gates, without documents of origin, including gifts and donations from organizations, individuals and residents in the border areas; detect and strictly handle the smuggling of pigs and pork products in accordance with the law; closely control and strengthen the animal quarantine.

On September 12, , Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also issued an express letter No. 1194/CD-TTg directing the ministries, sectors and localities to focus on taking measures to prevent the African Swine Fever outbreak into Vietnam.