The use of barcodes is an indispensable condition and a challenge when participating in global e-commerce.

Businesses implement custom procedures at Cat Lai Port, HCM City.
(Photo: tuoitre.vn) 

Nguyen Thi Mai Huong, head of the Conformity Assessment Department under the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, Ministry of Science and Technology, said that barcodes were an international language to draft information packages on orders, shipping and payment in electronic information exchange services.

Therefore, using barcodes is indispensable when participating in e-commerce globally, at the same time, promoting market development, expanding market share, participating in international markets and boosting imports and exports worldwide, said Huong.

In international trade, using barcodes helps manufacturers and suppliers avoid commercial fraud, and protect consumers' rights.

Barcodes help promote trade and international integration by facilitating businesses in global e-commerce and product traceability.

They also integrate with customs and tax authority data to facilitate declarations, clearance, and tax calculation; and support the flow of imports and exports, said Huong.

Countries are increasingly checking the origin of products and goods thanks to barcodes.

In the context of increasing trade tensions between countries, origin fraud has greatly affected the production of genuine businesses, the reputation of products and the business environment of each country.

To make sure there is no room for fraud of origin, some countries have implemented measures to crack down on fake goods and origin fraud to ensure the prestige of products of its nation.

The use of barcodes of foreign partners in Vietnam contributes to helping Vietnamese goods be exported more smoothly.

In addition, there are also some cases where businesses intentionally use foreign barcodes without authorisation, making Vietnamese export goods face difficulties in international markets.

Therefore, it was necessary to strongly implement solutions to support Vietnamese exporters to raise their responsibility in the use of barcodes before Vietnamese and international laws, as well as ensuring the image and reputation of Vietnamese products and goods.

In the context of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing the direction of the Prime Minister at a meeting with businesses last year, the Ministry of Science and Technology has actively implemented a series of solutions to support businesses such as reducing the time for administrative procedures to certify the use of foreign codes within one working day.

The ministry will also consider and accelerate the handling of administrative procedures on level 4 online public services and research to integrate with the national one-stop shop portal to meet the Government's requirements on the implementation of e-government.

In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology has proposed the Ministry of Finance to reduce 50% of the fee for granting and certifying the use of foreign codes.

The Ministry of Finance has also issued Circular 45/2020/TT-BTC dated May 26, which takes effect from May 26 to December 31 this year.

Registration fee to use foreign barcodes will be 50% of the fee rate regulated in Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC dated on November 11, 2016 of the Ministry of Finance.

In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology has also worked with relevant ministries and branches on sustainable development and national competitiveness enhancement.