The HCM City Customs Department is implementing solutions to handle goods stuck at ports under the guidance of the General Department of Customs. Many enterprises are applying for receiving goods which have passed the deadline for customs clearance.

HCM City Customs is dealing with goods stuck at Cat Lai port. Photo: TH 

Applying for receiving containers of goods

According to the HCM City Customs Department, many enterprises have applied to the Sai Gon port zone 1 Customs Branch for receiving goods stuck at the seaport. D.P. Import-Export Trading Service Co., Ltd. (Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) has applied for receiving 11 containers which have passed the deadline for customs clearance and are subject to the list of backlogged goods. The shipment belongs to the bill of lading YMLUN851095271 and arrived at Cat Lai port in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the company's application, the above shipment was sent by Prometeus + SA (The Kingdom of Belgium) to Kim Son International Steel Company (Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City). However, when the goods arrived at the seaport in November 2019, Kim Son International Steel Company refused to receive the goods as the goods owner did not comply with the agreement in the Letter of Credit.

The consignor tried to find other buyers, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses narrowed their production, so it took more than 90 days to find a buyer, namely D.P Company.

The shipping line changed information of the consignee on the bill of lading from Kim Son International Steel Company to D.P Company, which was approved by the Vung Tau Port Border Gate Customs Branch - Ba Ria - Vung Tau Customs Department (where the goods are docked) to amend the E-manifest on May 4, 2021. So far, D.P. Company opened a declaration which was approved by the relevant customs branch on July 15, 2021.

Similarly, LTP G. Manufacturing & Trading Co., Ltd. has applied to Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department for receiving 11 containers of imported goods on five bills of lading. The company said when the goods arrived at the port, the company lacked a certificate of registration of circulation of insecticidal and germicidal preparations for household and medical use and the application for circulation of insecticidal preparations has been prolonged due to the Covid-19 situation, missing the time limit for customs process to take the goods as prescribed. Currently, the company opened five import customs declarations on July 24, 2021.

Furthermore, T.B. Co., Ltd has sent an official letter requesting to receive the imported shipment that is overdue for receipt of goods, including 10 containers of bill of lading 205051857. According to the company, this is a shipment that the company re-bought after it arrived at the port during the pandemic. Due to the extended social distancing measures, the company faced difficulties and delays in customs clearance. Through E-Manifest inspection, on July 26, 2021, the shipment was accepted for changing the consignee to T.B company.

Proposal to remove difficulties for businesses

According to the HCM City Customs Department, all above shipments are goods on the list of goods stuck at Cat Lai port and have passed the prescribed time limit for receiving goods and Saigon port area 1 Customs Branch announced to seek the owner. In addition, these goods have been inventoried and classified by the council of handling backlogged goods at Cat Lai Port according to Circular 203/2014/TT-BTC dated December 22, 2014 of the Ministry of Finance and ownership has not been established.

As a result, the above goods are determined new and unused and have use value and commercial value without signs of law violation and are not in containers subject to supervision of relevant agencies.

According to Decree 29/2018/ND-CP dated March 5, 2018 of the Government, Circular 203/2014/TT-BTC and Circular 57/2018/TT-BTC dated July 5, 2018 of the Ministry of Finance and the guiding document 1424/GSQL-GQ dated July 22, 2021; Official Dispatch 4163/TCHQ-GSQL dated August 25, 2021 of the General Department of Customs, for goods that have passed the prescribed time limit for receiving goods, the Customs authority will carry out procedures to establish ownership.

However, the leader of the HCM City Customs Department said the Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many import-export businesses in receiving goods. For the above shipments, all companies have made payments to the sellers, all the costs of containers and yards and taxes to the state budget.

The HCM City Customs has worked with businesses to remove difficulties and minimize damages and quickly free up warehouses and containers so that shipping lines can soon put them into operation, avoiding congestion, causing environmental pollution. The HCM City Customs Department has reported to the General Department of Customs on removal of problems for businesses, said HCM City Customs