Enterprises proposed the Customs authority on resolve stuck goods

	Dialogue to find solutions for problems at Cat Lai port
	Nearly 10 tons of smuggled cake and candy were seized at Cat Lai Port
	Inspection and discovery a container of cosmetics importing illegally via Cat Lai port

Overload at Cat Lai Port. Photo: T.H

According to reflections from enterprises, after the holiday 30th April, imported goods of enterprises cannot dock at Cat Lai Port to carry out Customs clearance. Ships with full container load arriving Cat Lai Port, must dock at Cai Mep port and ships with less than a containers load must also dock at Cai Mep port waiting for transport to Cat Lai Port. It takes too long to transport goods to Cat Lai Port because this port is also stuck.

Currently, enterprises opened Customs declarations on 24th April, and those Customs declarations have nearly expired, (15 days) but goods have been not transported to Cat Lai port. Enterprises want to take goods at Cai Mep port, they must implement many procedures to amend the manifest. This not only causes time consumption and cost for enterprises, but also seriously affects the enterprises’ production and business.

According to Mr. Ngo Minh Thuan, Deputy General Director of Sai Gon New Port Corporation, Cat Lai Port was in the peak operation phase after the holiday, 30th April and 1st May. Currently, stuck goods at Cat Lai Port were about 91.3%, and imported goods were nearly 120%. Because of the high volume of stuck goods, many goods on ships docked at Cai Mep Port and Tan Cang- Hiep Phuoc waiting for transport to the destination of Cat Lai port have not been transported, affecting the progress of delivery of goods for customers.

Of which, at Cat Lai Port, the volume of stuck goods was about 8,050 teus, including 5,234 teus of containers of plastic and scrap paper and 2,816 teus of over 90 day- stuck goods.

Inspection and discovery a container of cosmetics importing illegally via Cat Lai port VCN – On 27/11, at Cat Lai port in HCM City, Customs Enforcement Unit – HCM City ...

According to Mr. Ngo Minh Thuan, the increase in the volume of long day stuck goods has seriously affected the operation at Cat Lai Port and the progress of delivery of other cargo containers at the port.

Sharing reflections form enterprises, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department Phan Le Minh said that the goods stuck at Cat Lai Port after holidays and Tet have often occurred over the past years due to the long holiday time and high volume of goods arriving to the port. The Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department also consulted with Ho Chi Minh City's leaders in planning and developing seaports and connecting traffic among provinces to restrict the stuck goods at port. The volume of goods in Cat Lai Port was overloaded and the capacity of other ports was low. The Department shared and acknowledged shortcomings of enterprises and would continue to report and propose to competent authorities for handling.