Deputy Director General LuuManhTuong speaks at the seminar on May 12. Photo: H.N

Great efforts by Customs

According to the assessment, Vietnam's agricultural exports are subject to the two most important technical barriers including food safety andveterinary and plant quarantine.

Facing these difficulties, Deputy Director General LuuManhTuong said that the Customs authority has made great efforts to streamline customs procedures, shorten customs clearance time and create favorable conditions for customs clearance within the same day for export goods in the area, especially for export agricultural products; resolved problems arising in customs process for import and export enterprises.

To boost agricultural product export, the Customs has held business dialogues, consulted and supported export enterprises to understand the regulations of other countries on quarantine, quality standards, and licensingmechanisms, payment procedures and insurance.

The GDVC has directed local customs departments to facilitate and clear goods within the same day for exported agricultural products; resolved problems arising in customs clearance for goods exports; closely coordinated with quarantine agency to quickly clear goods for enterprises.

Accordingly, Customs aims to support relevant individuals and organizations, especially, enterprises to promptly and fully understand customs regulations, ensuring compliance with customs law and relevant regulations related to agricultural products.

With thosegoals, the Customs at all levels have focused on disseminating and encouraging enterprises, individuals, and organizations to collaborate with the Customs in implementing Customs modernization and reform.

However, Deputy Director General LuuManhTuong said that enterprises should improvethe quality of agricultural products to meet the conditions and standards of importing countries; diversify customers and export markets for agricultural products to avoid dependence on traditional customers and markets. Complete customs procedures early so that when goods are brought to the border gate, they do not have to wait for export.

According to the Deputy Director General the Customs authority plays an important role in both controlling agricultural exportsandboosting the development of this activity.

The Customs has made great efforts to develop and run software on the National Single Window (NSW) to automatically receive applications for food safety and quality inspection; decided on inspection methods based on information collection and data on food safety inspection and quality inspection; transferred dossiers to inspectionagencies and the designated conformity assessment body; ensured transparent information and connected data with relevant ministries, sectors, and agencies.

The Director General said that the Customs has actively cooperated with ministries, and sectors to complete the legal documents to fill legal loopholes that enterprises take advantage of to commit fraud; proposed and provided information related to high-risk goods and businesses.

The Customs has also coordinated with associations to assess production and export capacity of agricultural productsand identified high-risk enterprises to apply appropriate professional measures. At the same time, Customs has closely coordinated with other enforcement forces to detect trade fraud.

The Customs has actively connected and exchanged information with Customs administrations and investigation agencies of other countries to prevent fraud, and protect the legitimate interests of legitimate enterprises and consumers.

Strongly applying information technology

To support and promote agricultural export activities, expand markets, and increase competitiveness for Vietnamese agricultural products, Deputy Director General LuuManhTuong said that the Customs has developed and improved the model of centralized checkpoints, coordinated with ministries and sectors to revise legal documents on specialized inspection, specify HS codes, and issue national technical standards and regulations for goods subject to inspection.

At the same time, the Customs sector has also strongly applied inspection principles under the method of goods classification to provide decisions on inspections. The Customs has improved the efficiency of the e-Customs clearance system and strongly applied Information technology at all customs operations towards the digital and smart customs model; coordinated with relevant units to connect and exchange trade information and enterprises engaged in logistics, insurance and other services, supporting and fostering agricultural export activities.

Tan Thanh Customs officer inspects enterprises in packing agricultural products in line with the regulations of partners. Photo: H.N

Especially, inthe peak period at the border gates, the Customs authority has arranged officers to perform customs clearance procedures and supervision for exported goods outside working hours, weekends and public holidays; coordinated with warehouseand yard operators to facilitate the preservation and quality classification of goods while waiting for export. In addition, the Customs has regularly updated the situation, providing information and timely recommendations to enterprises exporting agricultural products across border gates in the area.

Border-gate customs units havedisseminated and raised awareness of enterprises in implementing customs procedures for agricultural products; renovated contents and methods of information dissemination on customs regulations and policies on the management of agricultural exports to Customs declarants, contributing to raising the law compliance of Customs declaration to prevent violations.

Deputy Director General Luu Manh Tuong said that enterprises producing and processing agricultural products for export should improve the quality of agricultural products in accordance with Vietnam's commitments under agreements and with key partner markets; closely work with Customs authorities on IT application in electronic traceability of agricultural products, helping to expand export markets.

Enterprises should apply scientific and technical achievements and new technologies to post-harvest preservation and processing of agricultural products; implement physical, biological and chemical measures in preserving agricultural products to ensure the quality of goods and meet the requirements of the importing country.

The Customs recommends enterprises should grasp the situation and policies on epidemic prevention of the importing countries; implement commercial activities inline with international practices; closely negotiate arrangements in international sale contracts and have private provisions for cases affected by epidemics and natural disasters.