HANDLING BACKLOGGED COMMODITIES AT SEAPORTS

The Haiphong Department of Customs said that the increase in backlogs at Haiphong ports since 2011 is hurting business operations of seaports and exposing potential environmental and safety risks.
 
The handling of thousands of “rubbish” containers at seaports in Haiphong, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City has been urgently carried out as directed by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai. The Haiphong Customs Department has actively coordinated with relevant agencies to clear 1,332 containers (by exporting, importing) to reduce the number of backlogged containers to just 3,728. However, the clearance of backlogs in Haiphong ports is quite difficult.
 
To gradually remove obstacles and end this problem, the Haiphong Customs Department has collected information and checked the status of backlogs and reported them to the General Department of Customs and the Haiphong People’s Committee to have appropriate solutions. Based on solutions to problems proposed by the Haiphong Customs Department, the General Department of Customs built and introduced action plans to deal with the situation, like Plan 98/KH-TCHQ on strengthened inspection and control of backlogged imports at Haiphong ports, and Plan 230/KH-General Department of Vietnam Customs on inspection and handling of 2,796 containers of used rubber and tyres. The authority also hosted dialogues and meetings with shipping companies, forwarding agents and warehouse operators to seek coordinating solutions to deal with backlogs.
 
The Haiphong Customs Department said the introduction of action plans has produced positive results. Regarding the implementation of Plan 230/KH-TCHQ, the General Department of Customs requested scanning all 2,796 containers. The Haiphong Customs Department teamed up with the Police of Haiphong to examine 397 containers and handled them as guided by the General Department of Customs. It also worked with Anti-smuggling Bureau to scan 688 containers, including 29 containers checked at the request of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to the Ministry of Finance, stated in Official Document 2289/BTC-XNK dated March 24, 2014. However, according to Haiphong customs authority, as the scanning area was different from container sites, containers must be transported to the scanning site, thus giving rise to transport costs and procedural costs. To clear backlogs at ports as required by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, the Haiphong customs authority proposed encouraging businesses to re-export them out of Vietnam.
 
As for treatment for used rubber tires and scraps, apart from companies authorised to purchase by the Prime Minister, the Haiphong Customs Department suggested allowing importing companies or capable companies to process them into production inputs in accordance with the law. The fund for disposal is sourced from central State Budget.
 
In Ho Chi Minh City, customs authorities are cooperating with port operators and carriers to handle over 1,000 containers of backlogged goods. The process will be based on the Circular 15/2014/TT-BTC and Circular 203/2014/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance dated December 22, 2014.
 
Cat Lai Port reports to have over 800 backlogged containers. According to the Customs Bureau for Saigon Port Area 1, Cat Lai Port is preparing procedures to liquidate nearly 140 containers as defined in the Circular 203 as they have laid in the port more than 90 days. Most backlogs are common goods free of hazardous substances or environmental pollutants.

Source: VCCI