The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) continues to direct strengthening of the management for temporary import for re-export and bonded warehouses in the northern border area.

An officer of Cao Bang Customs Department supervises import and export goods 

According to the GDVC, in the first six months of 2020, due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, many goods were temporarily imported but have not been re-exported with huge backlogs in border areas and seaports.

On the other hand, when the Government loosened social distancing and implemented solutions to boost economic development, including allowing to resume import and export for some sub-border gates on theVietnam-China border, the GDVC forecast  that in the near future, there will be many potential risks of smuggling, trade fraud andillegal transportation of goods across borders.

To facilitate import and export activities and prevent the abusing of open policies by organizations and individuals to smuggle, the GDVC directed local customs departments and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department to publicise and implement the Prime Minister’s directions in Dispatch 3701/VPCP-KTTH dated May 11, 2020 of the Government Office.

Units need to strengthen information collection and understand situation of import and export activities, trade, goods exchange, temporary import for re-export and storage at bonded warehouses in northern border provinces. Promptly detect, prevent and handle abuse of the open policies  for smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods across borders.

Develop plans and assign forces to strengthen inspection and supervision for temporary import for re-export and bonded warehouses according to the law and strictly implement direction of the Government, Circular 09/2020/ TT-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

After the Prime Minister’s direction on easing social distancing, the GDVC’s leader directed subordinate-units to grasp and analyse situation to prevent smuggling effectively, including the business of temporary import for re-export and bonded warehouses.

On July 16, the GDVC issued Official dispatch 4747/TCHQ-GSQL directing local customs departments to strengthen customs inspection and supervision, detect, prevent and handle trade fraud for temporary import for re-export, bonded warehouses and transit of goods.

The GDVC directed that for border gate of temporary import for re-export of goods, temporary import for re-export of goods is prohibited at sub-border gates and border crossings as follows: Na Lan (Cao Bang), A-Pa-Chai (Dien Bien), Lung Po (Lao Cai) and other places that have not been decided by competent authorities to open border gates or border crossings as prescribed in Government Decree112/2014/ND-CP on management of land border gates. Temporary import for re-export via sub-border gates and other border crossings is strictly implemented in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister.

Earlier, in June, the GDVC issued a dispatch directing Cao Bang Customs Department to carry out import and export procedures across sub-border gates and border crossings at Vietnam-China Border gates in Cao Bang.