Many shipping lines related to hundreds of backlogged scrap containers

Imported scraps which were non-conformity were detected by HCM City Customs at Cat Lai port in 2018. Photo: Thu Hòa

According to the Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch, among the 58 shipping lines transporting scrap that were identified and are currently backlogged over 90 days at Cat Lai port, leading is C.L. shipping line that transported 587 containers, followed by H.M. shipping line having transported 261 containers, and A.P. transported 235 containers...

According to the deputy manager of Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch Mrs.Pham Thi Leo, in the process of classifying and processing 2,500 containers of scrap, if unauthorized scrap and environmental pollutants are detected, the Customs authorities will request the shipping lines and shipping agents that are authorized by shipping companies to take them out of Vietnamese territory.

The reason is that according to current regulations there are enough grounds to oblige shipping companies. According to the provisions of Clause 6, Article 58 of the Customs Law 2014: For goods which cause environmental pollution, owners of means of transport, operators or persons who are authorized by owners of means of transport take fully responsibility to transport those goods out of Vietnamese territory.

In addition, Article 74 of the Maritime Law 2005 stipulated the time of arising and termination of liability of the carrier. Accordingly, the carrier's liability arises from the time the carrier received the goods at the port of shipment, which is maintained during the carriage, and terminates upon delivery of the goods at the port of discharge.

Mrs. Pham Thi Leo said that nowadays, scrap containers are not received by the recipient, so it means that the delivery is not finished, thus the carrier is the shipping line and must be responsible for the goods that are shipped by them.

At the working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department recently about dealing with the backlogged scrap in Cat Lai port, representatives of shipping lines said that owners of shipments not coming to receive goods caused huge financial damage to shipping lines, this includes uncirculated containers due to overcharging at the port.

Taking responsibility for the carriage of cargo, representatives of the shipping lines have admitted that they could not return the scrap to other countries, as no country would allow import if they know it is scrap. The final solution that the shipping lines can undertake is destruction.