Vietnam Customs uses equipment and machinery to inspect imported and exported goods

Container Scanners Center in Hai Phong. Photo: T, Binh

At the 4th session of the XIV National Assembly on 1 October 2017, the deputy Ha Thi Minh Tam (Ha Nam province) said: Customs inspection of imports and exports at ports had been completely implemented by manual but not by machine. The management of temporarily imported goods for re-export, particularly, loose management of temporary import for re-export of foodstuff caused the imported food spreading over the market.

Talking to a Customs Newspaper’s reporter on this issue, Mr. Au Anh Tuan said that according to data of the GDVC, shipments subject to physical inspection in Customs clearance only accounted for 5.08% of the total Customs declaration.

The Customs Law and the by-law documents provide that the physical inspection of goods is carried out by Customs officers directly or by machinery, technical equipment, and other professional measures.

Over the past time, the General Department of Customs has invested in the inspection and supervision system at ports such as container scanners, consignment scanners, electronic scales and equipment for goods inspection for Customs officers to carry out the inspection by machinery.

"In addition, for goods that can not be inspected directly by Customs officer or the existing equipment of the Customs officer, the Customs office shall take the sample to send to the Customs goods verification Department to carry out inspection by machinery. Therefore, it can not be said that Customs inspection at the border gate is completely implemented by manual" - said by Mr. Tuan

Regarding the management and supervision of temporary import for re-export of foodstuff, Mr. Au Anh Tuan noted that under Circular No. 11/2017 / TT-BCT Ministry of Industry and Trade, frozen food in Appendix III of this Circular is subject to conditional business. Accordingly, enterprises must have temporary import for re-export code issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to qualify for a temporary report for re-export of these goods.

Requirement for temporary import for re-export code are: Application for temporary import for re-export code, Business registration certificate or Enterprise registration certificate; Confirmation of the deposit by a credit institution; Documents proving that enterprises have warehouses or storages for temporary import for re-export of frozen food; Confirmation of the electricity authority on electricity power enough at the warehouses and storages to operate the reefer container.

The temporarily imported goods for re-export shall be kept in Vietnam for no more than 60 (sixty) days from the date of completion of the Customs procedures for temporarily imported goods for re-export. In order extend the time limit, the enterprise shall send a written request for an extension to the Customs Branch where the temporary import procedures were carried out at; Each extension shall not exceed 30 (thirty) days and no more than two extensions per shipment.

Hai Phong Customs inspected goods by container scanners. Photo: T. Binh

Regarding the Customs management of temporarily imported goods for re-export, Mr. Au Anh Tuan said that the channel classification for Customs inspection is based on the principle of risk management prescribed in the Customs Law. For enterprises with high-risk items, the classification rate into the red channel was high and they are classified into subjects of Customs inspection. For temporary import for re-export enterprises, the current rate of channel classification on the system was 4.53% Green channel, 89.34% Yellow channel, 6.13% Red channel.

Business goods of TNTX, TNTX goods sent to bonded warehouses subject to the strict management and supervision of the customs office from the time of temporary import to the point of re-export from the Vietnamese territory, including in the process of keeping, To transport customs bonded warehouse by appropriate customs supervision methods such as customs seals control, direct supervision of customs officers, use of technical equipment and facilities.

Temporarily imported goods for re-export or temporarily imported goods for re-export stored at bonded warehouses subject to the strict control and supervision of the Customs office from temporary import to re-export out of Vietnam’s territory, even during the storage in bonded warehouse by appropriate Customs supervision methods such as Customs seals, direct supervision of customs officers, use of technical equipment and facilities.

Temporarily imported goods for re-export (including goods which completed procedures for temporary import or re-export or are waiting for actual export) shall be kept at one of the following places: Border gate, bonded warehouse, ICD and CFSs but not stored outside place without Customs supervision.

For goods in temporary import for re-export with conditional business (frozen food), the time limit of storing these goods in Vietnam exceeds the expiry date; enterprises shall only be allowed to re-export through the temporary import border gate within 15 days after the expiry date. If these goods are not re-exported, they will be confiscated and handled according to regulations. If these goods are appointed to be destroyed, enterprises must pay the destruction expenses.

Frozen foodstuff are not allowed to change the form of temporary import for re-export into import for domestic consumption.

Temporarily imported goods for re-export are not allowed to be separated containerized goods during the process of transporting goods from the temporary import border gate to the Customs supervision area, the re-export place is at the border gate and the Customs clearance point as prescribed. If the transportation requires to change or separate containerized goods for re-export, the traders must send a written request to the Customs officer and meet conditions of storage and means of transport, which must ensure Customs sealing condition. The moving of goods to another container or other means of transport must be under the Customs supervision

Thus, Customs management for temporary import for re-export of goods in general and foodstuff, in particular, is strict and restricts the abuse of temporary import for re-export for smuggling and trade fraud.