Heavy-handed with substandard hazardous scrap

	Government gives directives to solve difficulties in the management of imported scrap
	Concentrate on handling backlogged scrap at seaport
	Preventing tax fraud from export scrap

Resolutely taking strong measures against unsold goods, which are substandard waste. Photo: N.Linh

Regarding the plan for dealing with residual scrap at seaports, the Ministry of Finance has reported to the Prime Minister to propose steps for handling and make recommendations. The Prime Minister has assigned ministries and branches to handle residual scrap at seaports.

Particularly for goods in stock, which consist of waste, hazardous waste and scrap, whichdo notmeet the national technical standards on environmental protection, as well as radioactive waste, the Ministry of Finance has proposed the Prime Minister consider handling decisions in the direction that carriers are responsible for shipping goods out of Vietnam within 30 days from the date of receiving the notice from Customs.

In case the shipping line does not carry the shipment out of Vietnamese territory, the Ministry of Transport shall take measures to enforce, handle or suspend the granting of permission to enter and leave Vietnamese ports. The Ministry of Transport shall only permit entry and exit of a Vietnamese seaport to a shipping company after the carrier has transported all of the unsold consignments of waste, hazardous waste and scrap that didn’t meet national technical regulationsout of Vietnamese territory. The recommendations by the Ministry of Finance were approved by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung through a notice of the Government Office.

Regarding the disposal of scrap, in June 2019, Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to preside and coordinate with relevant agencies to study othercountries in the region. For example, the Philippines and Malaysia have returned waste to countries that have illegally exported and proposed solutions to problems related to the management of Vietnam's scrap imports.

Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is working with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Transport to review relevant laws and international conventions to propose re-export of all scrap shipments that don’t meet the requirements. Reportedly, the relevant ministries will soon have a meeting to discuss this issue.

Recently, the General Department of Customs has implemented many measures to control imported scrap. As of August 16, 2019, the number of containers declared on E-manifest as scrap currently stored at seaports is 10,983 (down 976 containers from the previous month). In particular, the number of containers at the port for less than 30 days is 3,842; the number of containers left from 30 days to 90 days is 38; the number of unsold stocks kept over 90 days was 7,103 containers (down 976 containers from the previous month).

For scrap cargo stored at seaports, importing businesses are still coming to receive goods and carry out import customs procedures as prescribed.

More than 500 scrap containers sent back in first six months As of June more than 500 containers of waste which failed to meet Vietnam import requirements had ...

The General Department of Customs has requested the provincial and municipal Customs Departments to strictly control the situation.If it is suspected that the waste of the Customs authorities shall conduct search and carry out coercive measures with transportation carriers, forcing re-export. At the same time, continue to strictly manage discarded and used goods with characteristics of scrap left in the customs operation area, strictly handle violations; strictly control these goods before importing them into Vietnam.

Notably, in compliance with the provisions of law and the Prime Minister's guidance in Directive 27 / CT-TTg, the Ministry of Finance continues to direct the Customs agency to resolutely force shipping companies to transport polluting goodsout of Vietnamese territory.

By the end of June 2019, the number of containers declared on the manifest as scrap not eligible for import into Vietnam transported by shipping lines out of the territory of Vietnam was 503 containers. In particular, the number of plastic scrap containers was 289, the number of paper scrap containers was 106, the number of iron and steel scrap containers was 98, the number of other scrap containers was 10.