Scrap importers exempted from submission of the notification issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Scrap paper imported at Hai Phong port. Photo: N. Linh

Previously, in order to promptly solve difficulties for enterprises and accelerate the clearance of imported scrap shipments used as production materials in stock at ports over the country, the Government issued a Resolution. No. 09 / NQ-CP dated February 3, 2019 and the Document No. 1036 / VPCP-TH dated February 1 2019 on changing the state inspection method on quality of imported scraps.

At the same time, the Government assigned the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to promulgates a Circular to abolish the inadequacies related to the quality inspection of imported scraps used as production materials in Circular No. 08/2018 / TT-BTNMT and Circular No. 09/2018 / TT-BTNMT dated September 14, 2018 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on national technical standards on environment for imported scrap as production materials to solve difficulties and obstacles for enterprises, which must be completed before February 15, 2019 ".

Following the guidance at the above documents and while the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has not yet issued a Circular to abolish the inadequate contents related to the quality inspection of imported scraps used as production materials prescribed in Circular 08/2018 / TT-BTNMT and Circular 09/2018 / TT-BTNMT, to remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses, the General Department of Customs has guided the provincial and municipal Customs Departments to direct their Customs Branches to base on the inspection and assessment results by a independent verification agency designated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on determining that the imported scraps meet the law on environmental protection to continue customs procedures as prescribed. At the same time, enterprises importing scraps are not required to submit the Notification of state inspection results on the quality of imported scrap shipments issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment where the enterprise’s factories and production establishments using imported scraps as production materials.

The guidance of the General Department of Customs applies to scrap shipments declared from February 1, 2019, and shipments carrying out customs procedures on February 1, 2019.

Previously, in 2018, after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued two Circular 08/2018 / TT-BTC and Circular 09/2018 / TT-BTC, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Customs) reflected many problems during the implementation. In particular, according to the provisions of Circular 08/2018 / TT-BTNMT and Circular 09/2018 / TT-BTNMT, the agency in charge of state inspection on quality of imported scraps was the Department of Natural Resources and Environment where the enterprises have factories and production establishments. However, scrap is a commodity that needs to be strictly controlled at the border gate, so the physical inspection and customs clearance must be carried out at the border gate. The assignment to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment where the enterprises have factories and production establishments, to conduct state inspection on the quality prolong the clearance time at the border gate.