The entire Customs sector continued to implement solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses, facilitate import and export activities, and prevent supply chain disruption amid Covid-19 pandemic, the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) said.

HCM City Customs Department implements customs clearance for shipment of medical
supplies worth more than VND120 billion donated by the Swiss government on August 13.
Photo: T.Hung.

Implementing solutions to avoid congestion at Cat Lai Port

On August 2, the GDVC asked HCM City Customs Department to work with the Saigon Newport Corporation to apply temporary customs procedures for goods amid Covid-19 pandemic, and encourage customs clearance at Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port (Ba Ria-Vung Tau) to avoid congestion at Cat Lai Port.

The GDVC agreed with specialised agencies to allow enterprises to submit the scanned certificate electronically in the implementation of the PM’s Directive 16 and provide the original certificate later.

On August 19, the GDVC submitted to the Ministry of Finance a draft circular regulating customs procedures for imported goods that are congested at seaports under social distancing directives.

In addition, the GDVC issued Official Letter 3695 on the inspection and preservation of goods in case of outbreak and turbulence development Covid-19 pandemic; Official Letter 3980 supporting customs clearance of goods for Covid-19 prevention and control. Accordingly, it directed customs departments to establish working teams to support and handle obstacles in customs process for imported goods at three levels.

The Customs sector has set up rapid response teams to perform customs clearance within the day for shipments of medical supplies, equipment, modern medicine, vaccines, biological products, and working teams to prevent goods congestion at seaports in HCM city.

A virtual seminar "Customs accompanies businesses amid the Covid-19 pandemic" was held by Customs News to resolve problems related to customs procedures for firms.

Using nearly 15,000 e-customs seals

The Customs sector has equipped 2,000 e-seals at 14 local customs departments to perform customs supervision and control for import and export goods during transportation. A total of 14,823 e-seals were used between January and August.

Regarding the origin and intellectual property management for imported and exported goods, Customs conducts risk analysis and assessment for some item groups to prevent origin fraud and illicit transshipment.

The GDVC has worked with the Inspector of the Ministry of Science and Technology to handle problems related to Luffman cigarettes; issued documents to instruct local customs departments when submitting scanned C/O and e-C/O, and searching C/O form VK, KV on the customs system, and the procedures for protection of intellectual property rights for Luffman cigarettes.

It has also instructed customs departments bordering Cambodia to inspect origin for imported raw cashews and guided Binh Duong Customs Department to handle obstacles on goods origin when implementing the UK-Vietnam free trade agreement (UKVFTA).

The GDVC is reviewing all warehouses, yards and ports nationwide and make statistics of those meeting requirements on customs supervision and management to extend the deadline for building and completing of these sites.

For the destruction of goods that are overdue the time limit for storage in exit border gates, the GDVC proposed supplementing this provision in revised Decree 08/2015 to have a legal framework when performing customs procedures.