Resolutely forcing shipping firms to bring ineligible scrap imports out of Vietnam

By the end of June 2019, more than 500 containers, declared on manifest as ineligible scrap imports, have been shipped out of the Vietnamese territories, including 289 containers of scrap plastics, 106 containers of scrap paper, 98 containers of scrap metal and 10 containers of other scrap materials.

As of June 28, over 12,270 scrap containers were being stored at seaports nationwide, with 14 held for 30-90 days and 4,808 present for below 30 days.

For shipments of scrap currently stored at seaports, the importing firms are still continuing to receive goods and perform customs import formalities in accordance with the law.

According to the GDVC, based on the provisions of Clause 6, Article 58 of the Law on Customs regulating the handling of goods in stock and the Prime Minister’s directions in Directive No. 27/CT-TTg dated September 17, 2018, the agency is continuing to direct customs departments of provinces and cities to force shipping lines to move the cargo backlogs causing environmental pollution out of Vietnam’s territories.

In an effort to effectively control scrap imports, the GDVC has issued a dispatch requesting units to strictly implement Directive No. 27/CT-TTg and the Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) guiding documents. In its Dispatch No. 2188/TCHQ-GSQL dated April 16, 2019, the GDVC directed customs departments of cities and provinces to strengthen the management and prevention of the imports of waste and scrap which is not eligible for imports solutions, while instructing the manifest declaration and supplementation on the names of consignees concerning scrap imports.

The GDVC has submitted for the MOF’s approval of the contents of a draft decision of the PM on the coordination regulations in controlling scrap imports between the MOF, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Defence and the People’s Committees of cities and provinces with seaports, border gates and land border.