Ho Chi Minh City: Many competent forces inspect and detect goods with forged origin

	Ministry of Industry and Trade release draft on "Made in Vietnam" goods
	Smuggled petroleum over the sea may originate from piracy
	Container of Chinese phone accessories with fraudulent Vietnam origin discovered

The shipment of trolley speaker with forged origin sized by the Customs force at Cat Lai Port. Photo: T.H

All forces conduct inspection

To strengthen prevention of smuggling and trafficking of goods with forged Vietnamese origin in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has directed units to strengthen patrol and control at targeted trails to prevent the transportation of these goods across border gates; handling suspects who abuse the export and import regime to illegally transport goods with forged Vietnamese origin and strictly handle acts of storing, circulating and selling these goods.

Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City Police is responsible for strengthening the control, investigation, detection and prevention chains and gangs of producing, storing, transporting and trafficking goods with forged Vietnamese origin.

In the role of State management at the border gate, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has strengthened the information collection and exchange to inspect, control and discover suspicious signs and acts of producing goods with forged Vietnamese origin and label to import and export goods; closely check the HS declaration for imported goods and prevent the false declaration of HS code of imported raw material to identify origin of exported goods at C/O issuers.

Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department provides information to agencies in verifying, investigation and handling cases; prevents the use of repeated invoice to legitimise smuggled goods and the use of illegal invoices identify the origin of domestic input materials to make forged Vietnamese label and origin.

The Market Surveillance Department of Ho Chi Minh City inspects and supervises the domestic market, discovers and prevents the smuggling, production and transportation of goods with forged Vietnamese label and origin; strengthens propaganda and requests business organisations and individuals not to transport and trade smuggled goods, goods without origin and goods with forged Vietnamese origin and label.

The Industry and Trade Department of Ho Chi Minh City implements solutions to supervise e-commerce activities and business models based on digital technology application to trade goods with forged Vietnamese label and origin. The Information and Communications Department handles acts of trading these goods on websites and social networks; strengthens inspection and supervision of printing establishments to detect smuggling and printing fake labels and packages; checks the labelling of units producing, importing and trading telecommunications and information technology before distributing products to the market.

The Science and Technology Department strengthens management of goods labels; provides criteria for labeling of "Made in Vietnam", "high-quality Vietnamese goods", criteria for labelling of goods in the language of the third importing country or regulates the processing orders, entrusting the production of goods from abroad to prevent the abuse of suspects for smuggling and facilitates the competent forces in controlling violations.

Closely control at border gates

To effectively this situation, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department directed Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department to request Customs Branches to share information for the accurate analysis and identification targeted shipments that must be controlled and supervised, apply risk management methods and classify import and export goods in customs clearance and post-clearance audit for suspected cases with forged origin and labeled ”made in Vietnam”.

Requesting units to take measures to support and coordinate with each other in investigation, identification and inspection for imported goods with forged Vietnamese origin; strengthen the internal inspection and supervision for the implementation of Customs procedures, Customs inspection and supervision according to regulations of the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

In addition, units must monitor unusual fluctuations in export activity to some markets to conduct physical inspection, post-clearance audit, investigation and handling for acts of origin fraud, affecting the reputation of Vietnamese brands and other violations in Customs. Notably, consumer goods such as electronics, civil electrical equipment, footwear, clothes, cosmetics are produced and imported from abroad but are labelled “Made in Vietnam” and barcode, address of manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has requested customs branches check the issuance of Vietnamese C/O for exported goods and pay attention to some goods with high risk of forged Vietnamese origin.

Promoting post-clearance audit to detect and handle enterprises abusing Vietnamese origin for trade fraud is also a task. Accordingly, when detecting imported goods labeled “Made in Vietnam”, units must investigate. If identifying imported goods with forged origin, the units must handle them according to the law. Officers that lack responsibility or support for the import of goods from abroad to Vietnam labeled “made in Vietnam” or regularly see the smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across border gates.

In addition, Customs branches should inspect and determine the origin and labels of imported goods in accordance with regulations of the Government, Ministry of Finance and the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

For goods imported from foreign countries with high risk of forged Vietnamese origin, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department has requested customs branches check dossiers and implement physical inspection for goods, Customs officers must check specifically HS code, name, origin, label of goods that must be inconsistent with the import dossier and the C/O (if any).

Units must use operational Customs measures to strengthen inspection and detection violations related to goods with forged labels and origin when carrying out customs procedures.

They should also coordinate with forces including Police, Border Guard, Market Surveillance to share information related to shipments with forged origin and labels to effectively prevent.