Customs plays an important role in combating origin fraud

	Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department will be Head of the Steering Committee for anti-origin fraud
	Eight measures provided by Customs to actively combat origin fraud
	Customs actively prevents origin fraud of import and export goods

Fake pillows, latex mattresses and blankets made in Vietnam, seized by HCMC Customs. Photo: T.Hoa

Proactive combat

According to the General Department of Customs, regional countries and the world have made big changes such as tax increases and the application of technical barriers to protect their domestic production and trade activities, especially trade wars between the US and China, the EU, Japan, and South Korea have a great impact on Vietnam's economy.

On the other hand, Vietnam has been affected by free trade agreements (FTAs), so goods from other countries with high tax rates are likely to find ways to illegally transfer into Vietnam to forge Vietnamese origin to export to the US, EU and Japan to evade high tax rates.

This act leads to the risk of Vietnam's exports being investigated by countries and high anti-dumping, safeguard and subsidy taxes, causing damage to Vietnamese manufacturers and discrediting them in the international market or restricting export to these markets.

Facing the above problem, the role of management, supervision and control of Customs agencies under the Customs Law is very important to proactively detect and prevent frauds of origin, labeling and illicit transshipment, then protecting Vietnamese manufacturers, attracting investment into Vietnam and improving the enterprise’s compliance with laws and trade remedies.

Currently, the General Department of Customs is implementing many specific solutions to enhance the control of Vietnamese origin fraud (Made in Vietnam) for goods from foreign countries, such as promulgating plans and processes for inspection, supervision and control of goods at risk of origin fraud, labeling and illicit transshipment.

Also, taking the initiative in collecting, analyzing information, identifying goods and enterprises at high risk of origin fraud, illicit transshipment to apply appropriate control measures.

Issuing an Official Dispatch to warn provincial and municipal Customs Departments to intensify the inspection and identification of the origin of import and export goods upon customs procedures to prevent frauds of origin, labeling and illicit transshipment.

In addition, the competent forces in the Customs sector are further promoting information collection and inspection of shipments with signs of suspected fake C/O for some key items with high import and export turnover. For acts, such as intentionally importing fake trademark goods, piracy on a commercial scale or for profit, intentionally importing and using fake labels, packaging on a commercial scale or for profit.

The Customs sector has worked closely with other forces to detect cases of origin fraud, labeling and illicit transshipment.

Moreover, in addition to perfecting the customs policies related to the origin of goods, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Customs) has participated in and commented on the completion of legal policies issued by ministries and sectors such as comments on the draft circular stipulating how to identify products and goods as Vietnamese products or manufactured in Vietnam.

Many violations discovered

Through active and specific measures, the Customs has discovered and seized many cases of Chinese finished goods declared as Chinese but labeled "Made in Vietnam" upon Customs import procedures

On November 4, the Saigon Port Area 1 Customs Branch requested for inspection over seven tones of blankets, mattresses, pillows imported from China with forged Vietnamese origin. Earlier, on October 9, a shipment of nearly 8,500 clothes imported from China by Thinh Hoa Co., Ltd. (District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) forging Vietnamese and Korean origins was seized by the Saigon Port Area 1 Customs Branch in coordination with the Customs Enforcement Team under the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and inspection units at Cat Lai port.

In particular, the General Department of Customs has promptly discovered and prevented the case of the largest risk of origin fraud ever. That is the case with signs of fake Vietnamese origin for aluminum products in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, which has attracted the attention of the public recently.

Previously, many cases of importing goods with forged Vietnamese origin were discovered by Customs, such as the case of Bao Tien An General Trading Co., Ltd importing 3,300 sets of locks from China with Viet Tiep brand and 1,560 valves of gas from China with testing stamp of Bao Minh Insurance Corporation of Vietnam.

For the case of Tran Vuong Import Export Co., Ltd, in the customs declaration, goods are declared as speakers combined with recorders and sound reproduction, new 100 percent, made in China with a declared value $10,217, equivalent to VND238,880,655. However, when the Customs checked the goods, finding 600 mobile cabinet loudspeaker and 1,200 microphones. On the box is Vietnamese language with the content: NANOMAX Speaker; Son Tung Electronic and Construction Joint Stock Company, headquarter of Tan Phu District - Ho Chi Minh City; Made in Vietnam. The company has declared incorrectly the name, capacity, quantity, brand, and origin of goods.

Regarding the imports of goods from China by Thanh Quy Import Export Company Limited and Aeolus Henan Trading Co., Ltd. Through inspection, 2,880 ballpoint pens Thang Long brand, 438 sets of locks Huy Hoang brand and 287 lines of goods were not declared and suspected of fake labels. The case has been criminally prosecuted and transferred the competent authorities for settlement.

About the case of H.T Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City) declaring the imports of six containers of unglazed ceramic tiles, new 100 percent, made in China. By inspecting, the Customs detected that the packaging shows the word "Made in Vietnam" with the trademark ROYALGRESPORCELANTATO, manufactured in My Xuan A industrial zone, Tan Thanh district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

Anti-origin fraud is a vital element of economic activity

The Customs has inspected and discovered four trucks carrying a large shipment from the northern border into Vietnam for consumption with an estimated volume of 100 tons of clothing, motorcycle parts, electric bicycles, and household electrical appliances. All goods are made in China but labeled with Vietnamese origin, even some products clearly state that they are manufactured in Ha Dong District (Hanoi) with a one-year warranty period and have standard certificate of Vietnamese high quality products.