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Chinese goods with forged Vietnamese origin seized by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on January 3, 2020. Photo: T.H

Re-export goods with forged origin

Not only did goods imported in consignments seized by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department at Cat Lai Port in the last week have forged Vietnamese origin, but also labeled as the importer in the US. This shows that tricks of origin fraud and illicit transshipment of goods are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

On January 3, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department conducted a physical inspection onthree goods containers imported from China by Super FoamCo.,Ltd (located at PhuChanhcommune, Tan Uyen District, Binh Duong province). Thegoods were declared on the customs dossier as upholstering made in China. But when conducting a physical inspection, the Customs detected 4,036 mattresses bags labeled “made in Vietnam”,“Manufactured by Super Foam Vietnam Ltd” and the name of the importer as a company located in California, the US. According to customs officers inspecting these containers, Super Foam Co., Ltd intentionally imported goods with forged Vietnamese origin to illegally transship goods for consumption in the US market.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, if these goods containers are successfully imported, they will be illegally transshipped to the US to circumvent Chinese origin that is imposed with a high tax rate.

According to Customs news’ reporters,Super Foam Co., Ltd was licensed in Binh Duong since 1995 and operated since 1996. This company has investment capital from China. After importing these consignments to Cat Lai Port, although this company has received a notice from the shipping line, it has not carried out customs procedures to receive the goods.

Through conducting operational activities, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department implemented targeted supervision for the consignments because there were suspicious signs. Therefore, when Super Foam Co., Ltd. proposed to re-export the consignments, the Customs authority did not accept and conducted a physical inspection, and detected goods with forged Vietnamese origin.

Goods imported from China but labeled “made in Vietnam”. Photo: T.H

Strictly handle origin fraud

Identifying origin fraud and illicit transshipment of goods is a hot issue. Implementing plans and directions of the Government, the Ministry of Finance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee combating origin fraud, intellectual property infringement and illicit transshipment, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has taken measures and detected cases of imported foreign goods with forged Vietnamese origin. The department criminally prosecuted two cases and transferred them to Ho Chi Minh City Police for investigation and is verifying remaining cases to strictly handle them according to regulations.

Through cases of imported goods with forged origin seized by Ho Chi Minh Customs Department, tricks of origin fraud are increasingly sophisticated. In order for origin fraud, subjects importing goods from abroad to transship goods via Vietnam to legalize dossiers or apply for certificates of origin and then export goods to third countries.

Recently, the Government issued Resolution No.119/NQ-CP on a number of urgent measures to strengthen state management on combat of origin fraud, illicit transshipment of goods, to prevent origin fraud, illicit transshipment of goods in import-export activities, to detect and strictly handle cases (if any); promoting the development of domestic production, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese manufacturers. Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said it continues to focus on closely controlling the import of goods from abroad and taking advantage of Vietnamese origin to export Vietnam’s goods to major markets.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Departmentis analyzing import and export statistics and other sources of information to determine a list of target goods athigh risk oforigin fraud to inspect and control. These violations are aimed at enjoying special preferential tariffs from FTAs ​​that Vietnam has signed, evading taxes because products are not eligible to enjoy preferential tariffs from origin rules.