Ho Chi Minh City Customs answered over 30 customs procedure questions for businesses

The dialogue conference attracted over 200 businesses to attend.

On behalf of the Executive Board of the City Business-Government Dialogue System, Mr. Tran Phu Lu, Director of ITPC, said that the customs sector has always received much attention as it is considered an important factor in promoting international trade, ensuring economic security and contributing to the economic development of the locality and the whole country.

For businesses, the Customs agency always supports and creates favorable conditions for import and export activities, reducing costs and customs clearance time, thereby improving competitiveness in the international market.

“In the field of logistics and trade, the Customs agency plays an important role in maintaining the flow of goods, ensuring jobs and increasing income. On a social scale, customs activities contribute to stabilizing the economy, increasing budget revenue and promoting sustainable development,” Mr. Tran Phu Lu emphasized.

Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam, Head of the Customs control and Supervision Division, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, said that in the past, there were many problems arising from enterprises, however, the number of problems has decreased significantly, thereby showing that the problems that have been guided and answered by the Customs agency have been accepted and applied correctly by enterprises.

According to Mr. Nam, in the past, some legal documents have unclear content, leading to different understandings when implementing, affecting enterprises.

"When enterprises encounter problems, they need to be proactive in resolving them. If they have not received satisfactory instructions, they need to register to work with Customs leaders at all levels for thorough handling" - Mr. Vuong Tuan Nam suggested.

At the conference, many problems regarding customs value; specialized quality inspection, determining type codes, deducting licenses, on-site import and export goods, reporting customs agency activities, etc. were specifically guided and answered by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department.

Answering the question of Trellinitex Company Limited about determining customs value, the representative of the Import-Export Tax Department - Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said that the principles and methods for determining the value of goods up to the export gate are specifically stipulated in Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular No. 60/2019/TT-BTC dated August 30, 2019 amending and supplementing Article 4 of Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTC dated March 25, 2015 of the Ministry of Finance.

According to the above regulations, in case Trellinitex Company Limited does not have invoices and documents proving the costs incurred from the Company's warehouse to the export port so that can be added to the EXW price (factory price) to convert to FOB value (tax value on the customs declaration), and the tax value will not be declared as EXW price.

In case there is a basis to determine that the declared value is not appropriate, the Customs authority shall determine the customs value according to the principles and methods for determining customs value as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular No. 60/2019/TT-BTC dated August 30, 2019 amending and supplementing Article 4 of Circular No. 39/2015/TT-BTC dated March 25, 2015.

"For similar problems, the General Department of Customs has provided guidance in Official Dispatch 683/TCHQ-TXNK dated February 21, 2024. Enterprises are requested to study and comply with the regulations" - the representative of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department further instructed.

Businesses raise problems at the conference

Answering questions from some businesses about the Customs' support solutions when there are many actual inspection goods, but the inspection yard is small, the time to transfer containers through the yard is long, causing businesses to wait, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department said that the Customs Department is applying many measures to solve the problem of congestion at ports and warehouses, which prolongs the inspection time and costs incurred by businesses.

In particular, applying smart traffic solutions, pre-clearance inspection, applying information technology and improving the inspection process, etc are helping to improve the efficiency of port operations, while minimizing difficulties for import-export businesses.

In addition, businesses also need to proactively comply with regulations to optimize the customs clearance process and reduce costs.

At the conference, in addition to 25 questions sent by businesses in advance that were answered and responded to by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the Organizing Committee answered many additional questions from businesses.

In addition, businesses recommend that there should be connections between units in the deduction of import licenses for goods, expanding the centralized inspection area at Tan Cang Cat Lai, etc.