According to Vung Ang Port Customs Branch (Ha Tinh Customs Department), The unit carried out customs procedures for five woodchip exporters with a turnover of nearly US$51 million from earlier this year.

Loading and unloading of wood chips at Vung Ang port (Ha Tinh).
Photo: Phan Tram

Director of Vung Ang Port Customs Branch Mr. Cao Duc Than said five enterprises regularly register to open export declarations of wood chips through Vung Ang port to Japan and China.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected production and business activities of many enterprises, woodchip enterprises in Ha Tinh province have strived to maintain production and business and recorded an impressive number of export orders.

Since January, the export of woodchips through Vung Ang port rose nearly 20% year-on-year to US$51 million.

Typically, HANVIHA Forest and Products Co., Ltd has signed contracts with woodchip production facilities inside and outside the province to have enough raw materials for production and export to Japan. As a result, so far this year, the company exported 84,100 tons of wood chips worth over US$10 million, up 20% year-on-year. It is expected that from now until the end of the year, the company will make efforts to exceed the set export target in 2021 of 100,000 tons of wood chips with a turnover of over US$12.2 million.

On September 2 alone, the company exported 45,000 tons of fresh wood chips via Southern ACE ship to the Japanese market. Accordingly, the company paid nearly VND1.3 billion in tax to the state budget. The company is preparing an export order of 12,000 tons of dry woodchips to Japan under the singed contract.

In addition, Tan Truong Phat Co., Ltd. is an exporter of wood chips to the Chinese market.

Since the beginning of the year, the company exported 120,000 tons of wood chips. According to a representative of the company, if in 2020, the export of woodchip fell due to the impact of the pandemic, from the first months of 2021, the company has actively exchanged, negotiated and resumed the supply chain for the partners. Therefore, although shipping rates have increased, the company has still actively balanced costs to ensure exports as planned.

In recent years, wood chips are one of the main export commodity groups of Ha Tinh through Vung Ang port to foreign markets. Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic, the increase in shipping rates and costs for prevention and control of the pandemic have caused difficulties for many businesses.

However, to regain the momentum of production and export, many enterprises have actively searched for partners, negotiated with partners to resume the supply chain, so in the first eight months of the year, many enterprises signed large orders with foreign partners. These are considered positive signals for enterprises in overcoming difficulties and challenges to maintain and develop export production.

In order to accompany enterprises which export goods through the area and woodchip exporters to overcome difficulties, the Vung Ang Port Customs Branch has regularly coordinated, exchanged and grasped difficulties to create favorable conditions for enterprises to carry out customs procedures and ensure customs clearance at all times.

To create maximum convenience for enterprises, the unit has thoroughly used the electronic customs clearance system, the ASEAN Single Window, enhanced online public services and launched the automated system for seaport customs supervision management (VASSCM). As a result, import-export enterprises can open declarations, pay taxes, fees and charges anytime and anywhere, shortening customs clearance time and costs.

In addition, the unit has strengthened coordination with the State Treasury, tax authorities and commercial banks in the province to facilitate and encourage enterprises to participate in electronic tax payment and customs clearance 24/7 to reduce travel time and costs for enterprises.

Amid the turbulence of the Covid-19 pandemic that is directly affecting import and export activities, Director of the Vung Anh Port Branch Cao Duc Thang said that the unit will continue to implement solutions to provide support for enterprises; closely monitor the pandemic developments to actively advise and propose competent authorities solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles and accompany enterprises to promote import-export activities through the area, thereby rising budget revenue and gaining assigned targets.