HCMC Customs: Focusing on dealing with derelict inventories

	The list of scraps permitted for import will be issued in January 2019
	Process for checking quality of imported scraps
	How to handle inventories under specialized inspections

Ineligible imported scraps are seized by the Customs at Cat Lai port. Photo: T.H

More than 5,000 containers of inventories

According to Nguyen Nang Toan, Deputy Director General of Sai Gon New Port Corporation, as of February 25, 2019, at Cat Lai port, there are still 5,240 containers (equivalent to nearly 10,000 TEUs) of 90-day inventories. In which, there are over 3,038 containers of scraps and more than 2,200 containers of other goods.

Among the over 90-day inventories, Saigon New Port Corporation in coordination with Customs Branch of Sai Gon port zone 1 has released a notice to look for the goods owners.

In particular, for more than 2,500 containers on the notice to look for good owners in July 2018 (enough time to release a notice of 60 days), so far customers have contacted with the Customs to fulfil the procedures for receiving nearly 600 containers, the volume of inventories is near 2,000 containers which are identified as derelict goods, mainly scraps being classified and listed.

However, Customs encountered some problems when dealing with the inventory scraps. Of the 827 containers transported to Hiep Phuoc new port for inventory and classification, 479 containers have not been listed due to procedural problems, such as: these containers belong to enterprises in the list licensed by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for import of plastic scraps; contain goods requested for keeping by investigating agencies after releasing the notice, goods of enterprises which have opened customs declarations, but have not received goods.

According to Sai Gon New Port Corporation, there is a notice to look for owners of more than 1,600 containers (including over 1,100 containers of scraps), at the end of January 2019. Currently, waiting for enough time of 60 days from the date of notice for settlement according to the provisions of Circular 203 of the Ministry of Finance.

However, the leaders of Sai Gon Newport Corporation is afraid that if problems arising in the inventory processing are not handled, it will greatly affect the operation at Cat Lai port - which is always in the overloading of import and export goods.

Focus on handling immediately

At the recent meeting with the leaders of the New Saigon Port Corporation, the Director of HCMC Customs Department Dinh Ngoc Thang asked the units to coordination together to establish a specialized working team including Customs officials of the HCMC Customs Department; Customs Branch of Sai Gon Port zone 1 and Sai Gon Newport corporation to completely handle related problems.

Accordingly, speeding up the processing of inventories for the ground clearance for the port. More than 600 backlogged containers that are locked by competent authorities, will be solved immediately in the second quarter of 2019.

According to the analysis of HCMC Customs Department, among 606 containers which are locked by the competent authorities for verification and investigation for many years, but so far, the authorities have not dealt with, causing difficulties for the Customs management in the area, as well as affecting the port's operations.

HCMC Customs Department has identified units requesting for locking 435 containers, the remaining containers shall be verified and processed as soon as possible.

Currently, scraps at Cat Lai port are mainly paper materials. Photo: T.H

According to HCMC Customs Department, to avoid overloading and backlog of goods in Cai Lai port, from mid-2018 to now, HCMC Customs Department has coordinated with Saigon New Port Corporation to review and stop receiving ineligible scraps at Cat Lai port (without license, expired license, derelict goods). Up to now, inventories are scraps of 30 to 90 days at the port are not significant.

Besides, HCMC Customs Department’s leaders requested its branches to carry out weekly review and report on the scraps which have been handled to grasp the situation and propose solutions and report to competent authorities for consideration and settlement even for goods that left more than 90 days from Cat Lai port to Tan Cang - Hiep Phuoc port.

Therefore, imported scraps at Cat Lai port in recent time are mainly paper scraps, which have been processed for import and cleared immediately. There is no longer enterprises leaving the scraps at the port.

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Currently, HCMC Customs Department will focus on dealing with the inventory scraps, as well as other inventories from the middle of 2018 because enterprises have not come to receive the goods for clearance for the port.