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Receiving the invitation of the leader of the General Department of Customs of China, on December 19, 2023, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Customs Nguyen Van Tho gave an important speech at the opening ceremony of the online Workshop on "Smart Customs – Strengthening the development of free trade zones/free seaport areas”, organized by the General Department of Customs of China within the framework of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Tho said that APEC is currently the largest direct investment region in Vietnam with 65.6% of total investment capital. Among the 14 largest investment partners (over US$1 billion) in Vietnam, there are 10 APEC partners with a total capital of US$39.5 billion, accounting for 95.6% of total direct investment of APEC and accounting for 62.7% of total direct investment of all economies into Vietnam. In particular, seaports are an important factor promoting economic growth between regions, countries and territories.

Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Tho speaks at the Opening Ceremony of the Workshop on "Smart Customs - Strengthening the development of free trade zones/free seaport areas" within the framework of APEC cooperation hosted by China Customs.

Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Tho emphasized the importance and potential for development of the marine economy, especially import-export activities at major seaports.

To respond to that development, the Government of Vietnam has approved the Customs Development Strategy until 2030 with the goal of "Building a regular and modern Vietnam Customs, on par with the customs of developed countries, leading in implementing digital Government, with the model of digital Customs and smart Customs".

To implement that Strategy, Vietnam Customs has focused resources and drastically implemented reform and modernization to create maximum convenience for businesses, determined building a smart Customs system for the management and supervision of import and export goods and entry and exit vehicles at international seaports in Vietnam as a top priority goal. Currently, Vietnam Customs has issued a Plan on digital transformation of the customs sector to 2025, with an orientation to 2030, with the goal of striving to complete digital Customs by 2025, and striving to complete smart Customs by 2030.

Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Tho also emphasized that this conference is extremely important, so that APEC member Customs agencies can share their orientation and experience in applying and using new technologies and applying smart Customs to facilitate trade and customs management in general as well as develop free trade zones/free seaport areas in particular.

Within the framework of APEC cooperation in 2023, Vietnam Customs is considered one of the active members, always striving to proactively contribute to an APEC Customs community to build a more interconnected, innovative, and inclusive APEC region.

The workshop on "Smart Customs - Strengthening the development of free trade areas/free seaport areas" is a component of the 2023 project of APEC Customs on "Enhancing customs services and smart supervision of the Customs authority to promote the development of free trade zones/free seaport areas" hosted by China Customs with the support of Vietnam Customs as co-sponsor.