Food safety rules relaxed for emergency imports

Professional activities of civil servants of Hanoi Customs Department. Photo: N.Linh

Accordingly, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has issued a notification to provincial and municipal customs departments regarding the directive of Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long (in recent Government Office Document No. 6813/VPCP-KGVX) on exempting state inspection of food safety and product quality for imported goods to address the consequences of natural disasters.

Pursuant to this, local customs units shall base on the directive of Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long to handle customs procedures for shipments of goods donated by foreign governments and international organizations for urgent relief to people affected by Storm No. 3.

Regarding donated goods, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, many governments and international organizations have sent urgent relief goods to people in the affected areas, including some types of goods such as food and bottled water that need to be considered for exemption from state inspection of imported food safety to serve urgent needs.