HCM Customs Department implements action plans to combat fraud for transit goods

HCM Customs controls imports and exports across seaports

Fake goods in transit shipments were detected by HCM City Customs Department in 2022. Photo: T.H

Over 600 violations in 2022

According to Deputy Director of the HCM City Customs Department Nguyen Huu Nghiep, the transit of goods across the seaports of HCM City has been increasingly developed, bringing jobs and income for workers and benefits for logistics operators. In 2022, the department processed over 50,000 declarations for goods in transit.

At Zone 1st Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch, 40 enterprises carried out procedures for transit goods and registered 42,236 declarations. The transit goods include fabrics and raw materials for production, bicycle parts, consumer goods, food, fertilizers, chemicals, medicine and medical equipment.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch processed procedures for 1,382 declarations for transit goods, including fabrics, cosmetics, testing chemicals, medicine, machinery and equipment.

Zone 3rd Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch processed 545 declarations for transit items, including iron, steel, steel coil, construction machinery, ceramic tiles, granite stone, paint, clothing, diapers, and fresh fruit.

Zone 4th Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch processed about 6,000 declarations for transit goods such as metal and plastic household appliances, lamps and luminaires, wooden products, wooden and plastic furniture, bicycles and accessories, and handicrafts.

Meanwhile, Hiep Phuoc Seaport Customs Branch carried out customs procedures for nearly 500 declarations of goods in transit.

While performing customs clearance for enterprises, most enterprises have complied with customs laws and regulations on transit goods. However, some enterprises have violated this regime, such as transporting banned goods and smuggling goods into Vietnam. Therefore, Customs has provided solutions to control transit goods closely and detected hundreds of violations.

In 2022, HCM City Customs Department detected 624 violations related to transit goods. 1st Zone Sai Gon Seaport Customs Branch discovered 617 cases for false declaration of quantity, name, category, quality, customs value, the origin of goods in transit, transiting goods without a permit, and transiting fake goods.

Implementing action plan

At the dialogue conference with transporters of transit goods held by HCM City Customs Department on February 15, the Deputy Director of the department said that the department has strictly controlled and combated cases taking advantage of transit services to export goods to Cambodia across land border gates of Southwest border province to smuggle and change goods.

To protect legitimate enterprises, the department’s leader has directed border customs branches to closely supervise and conduct physical inspections for goods showing signs of violations.

Accordingly, the customs branches must stop customs clearance, conduct a physical inspection for suspected consignments, and use non-intrusive inspection tools, such as container scanners, etc.

Focus on information collection, development of action plans and detection of violations.

Most transporters have complied well with the Customs law, and the city’s customs department provided recommendations for enterprises to prevent violations. Accordingly, the transporters should grasp and update regulations related to trade management and transit goods to comply with regulations.

When arising problems, enterprises should coordinate with competent Vietnamese agencies to handle issues related to goods in transit. Furthermore, when negotiating and signing a contract for the transportation of goods in transit, enterprises should require transit service suppliers to provide documents to carry out import and transport procedures within the Vietnamese territory and export procedures following provisions of Article 253 of the Trade Law to avoid being sanctioned for violations.

In addition, customs units should strengthen the dissemination and provision of information to customs declarants via different methods, such as providing information via written document, phone, press or holding dialogue conferences.