Revenue collection and anti-smuggling were outstanding issues in the press released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Drug was camouflaged inside block of granite stone that was seized
by Customs forces in coordination with other competent force in July.
Photo: Lê Thu 

Import and export continued to prosper

In July, the whole sector reached VND 25,010 billion in revenue collection, accumulated in the first seven months reached VND 174,603 billion, 51.7% of the estimate, 49.2% of the striving target, down 15.48 % from the same period last year (VND 206,586 billion).

Regarding the import and export situation, in July, total value was estimated at $45 billion, up 4% compared to June.

Total export value was $23 billion, up 1.9% and total import value was $22 billion, up 6.2%.

Compared to the same period in 2019, the country's export value increased by 0.3% and import value decreased by 2.9%.

With the above developments, Vietnam's merchandise trade balance in July was estimated to have a surplus of $1 billion.

Generally, in the first seven months of the year, the total import-export turnover was estimated at $285.1 billion, down 1.3% over the same period in 2019. Exports were estimated at $145.78 billion, up 0.2 % and imports were estimated at $139.32 billion, down 2.9% from the same period in 2019.

Vietnam's merchandise trade balance in the first seven months of 2020 was estimated to have a surplus of $6.46 billion.

The exported items with remarkable fluctuations in July included crude oil, which was estimated at 300,000 tonnes, down 24.1% and value was $93 million, down 23.1% compared to June 2020.

In the first seven months of the year, the volume of exported crude oil was estimated at 2.798 million tonnes and valued at $ 900 million, up 18.7% in terms of volume and estimated value down 26.5% from the same period in 2019.

Exported ore in July was estimated at 400,000 tonnes, up 23.9% and worth $ 24 million, down 29.1% over the previous month.

In the first seven months of the year, output was estimated to reach at 1,817 million tonnes, worth $131 million; drop 3.6% in volume and value was estimated to decrease by 5% compared to 2019.

Imported items with big fluctuations in the downward trend such as petroleum were estimated at 110,000 tonnes, down 90.2% and valued at $42 million, down 89.4% from the previous month.

Generally, in the first seven months of the year, it was estimated at 4,423 million tonnes and valued at $1,765 billion, down 20.8% in volume and 48.7% in value from the same period in 2019.

Meanwhile, CBU cars was a commodity group that brought a large amount of revenue and tended to increase slightly in July with an estimated output of 4,000 units, worth $104 million, up 12.6% in volume and up 6.3% over the previous month.

However, the import volume of this item in the first seven months of the year was estimated at 44,000 units and the value was estimated at 1,013 billion USD, down 48.3% in volume and 47.6% in value from the same period last year.

Some items with an increase in turnover in July (compared to June) such as computers, electronic products and components and steel.

Hot in drug-related crime

Regarding anti-smuggling, after the Government loosened social distancing and implemented measures to stimulate economic development, allowing reopening of the Vietnam-China land border gates, illegal transport of goods across the border has shown signs of increasing.

The main infringing goods include sugar, cigarettes, beer, powdered milk, medicine, cosmetics, new electronics, poultry, poultry products and animal horns transported by the subjects through air, seaport, post office, trail and the opening path of land borders.

Illegal trafficking and transportation of narcotics occurred complicatedly and tended to increase over the previous month.

The route of air post service has detected many large drug transport cases, while in border areas such as Dien Bien, Nghe An and Tay Ninh, illegal drug trafficking across border for entering Vietnam was still very hot and subjects' tricks were very sophisticated and seizing a large amount of drugs.

In July (according to the reporting period from June 16 to July 15), the Customs sector worked to discover and handle a total of 1,081 violation cases, the value of infringing goods was estimated VND 111,884 billion; contributing to revenue by VND 67,118 billion.

Notably, Customs authorities prosecuted four cases and transferred to another agency to propose prosecution of 10 cases.

In the press release, the General Department of Vietnam Customs cited many typical drug-related cases that have been closed in the nation (specific cases have been strongly reflected by Customs News in every publication).

For example, on July 30, the Police, Customs, and Border Defence forces cooperated to arrest 16 subjects, seized 120 kg of meth, ketamine, and ecstasy; 19 bricks of heroin in the transnational drug trafficking line from Cambodia through the southwest border gate areas to gather in HCM City for consumption. It belonged to a line operated by Chinese and Korean people.

Also on July 30, the working group of the Criminal-Economic-Drug related Crime Investigation Team, the Police Department of Nam Can commune, Pha Danh worked with Nam Can Customs Branch to close the project No.720T and arrest two subjects and seize 1,000 tablets of synthetic narcotics.