It is necessary to clarify principles for applying the list of food safety inspection items

	Reform of specialized inspection is an inevitable trend
	Some durian shipments to China warned over food safety
	Customs responds to action month for food safety in 2024

Officials of Hoanh Mo Border Gate Customs Sub-department, Quang Ninh Customs Department, inspect import and export goods. Photo: Q. Hung

To specify the directions of the Government leaders on ministries and the Ministry of Finance coordinating to research, review, propose amendments and supplements to regulations in specialized management and inspection, ensuring consistency, unity and conformity with international practices; at the same time, meeting the goals and requirements under the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, recently the Ministry of Finance (General Department of Customs) has actively organized concentrated working sessions, coordinating with ministries to review and complete the list of specialized management goods.

The General Department of Customs organized a concentrated working session, coordinating with representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to review and standardize the List of food to match the List of Vietnam 2022 import and export goods.

At the end of the working session, the responsible groups reviewed all groups of goods according to the List of food of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including: beverage products, soft drinks, wine, beer, food alcohol; processed milk; flour and starch products; fats and oils of vegetable origin and their separation products; processed edible fats; vegetable waxes; bakery products, jams, and candies. The Standardization Team also recommended that the Ministry of Industry and Trade review a number of product lines that do not qualify as food, a number of product lines that are inedible preparations; request detailed descriptions of product names of a number of product lines, etc.

Based on the results of the Standardization Team, the Ministry of Finance requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to complete the list in accordance with the List of Vietnam 2022 Import and Export Goods. In addition, the Ministry of Finance said that in Resolution 02/NQ-CP of the Government and Decision 1254/QD-TTg, Decision 1258/QD-TTg, the Government directed ministries and branches to continue to simplify and reduce the List of goods subject to specialized inspection. Therefore, the Ministry of Finance also requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to review, simplify, and reduce the List in accordance with the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister. In case of addition, it is necessary to state the reasons, assess the impact, and widely consult the business community.

Regarding the principles of application, the Ministry of Finance said that recently, the Customs and enterprises have encountered some difficulties with imported foods that are not on the list of imported goods subject to state inspection of food safety, and have reported to the ministries (Health, Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development). Therefore, in order to ensure clarity, transparency, and avoid arising difficulties, the Ministry of Finance proposed to supplement the principles of application of the list.

Specifically, in case of differences or inconsistencies in the classification and determination of commodity codes for goods in the List issued with this Decision, the determination of commodity codes shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law on customs. For goods not listed and determined in the List issued with this Decision, the determination of commodity codes shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law on customs. After customs clearance, exporting and importing organizations and individuals shall send documents to the Ministry of Industry and Trade as a basis for coordination with the Ministry of Finance to consider, unify, update and issue the supplementary List.

State inspection of imported food safety for goods under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade as prescribed in Article 39 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 2, 2018 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Food Safety shall be carried out as follows: Goods listed in this List shall be subject to state inspection of imported food safety as prescribed in Article 40 of the Law on Food Safety and Article 16 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP.

Goods not listed in this List but subject to strict inspection methods when there are shipments or items that do not meet import requirements in the previous inspection; shipments or items that do not meet requirements in inspections and checks (if any); there are warnings from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Provincial People's Committee or competent authorities in foreign countries or the manufacturer.

The competent authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall be responsible for notifying the Customs authority of the time of application, cessation of application of the strict inspection method and the conversion to another inspection method (if any), including information on the HS code, goods name, etc. for cases where the above goods are not included in the List.

The following cases are exempted or not subject to state inspection of food safety for imported food: Goods listed in this List but not in one of the cases specified in Article 13 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP (except for cases with food safety warnings); goods listed in this List but not intended for use as food; goods not included in this List, except for the cases specified in this Decision.