Large seaport Customs units of Vietnam and the US to coordinate in information exchange

	Ho Chi Minh City Customs wishes to cooperate with US Customs in many fields
	Continue close cooperation between Vietnam and US Customs
	Cooperation between Viet Nam and US Customs administrations promotes

The US Customs experts and Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch present souvenirs, looking forward to cooperating in many fields. Photo: T.H

Processing 2,000 declarations per day

On January 31, 2024, a delegation of senior experts from the US Customs had a working session with the Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch. Introducing to the Delegation, Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch said that the unit performs the task of state management of customs at Cat Lai port area. This is a key port in the Ho Chi Minh City regional port system, the largest and most modern international container port in Vietnam, among the top 25 ports in the world with an import-export container market share of over 90% in the South region and nearly 50% in the country.

Each year, the unit processed more than 400,000 import declarations, nearly 300,000 export declarations for over 40,000 businesses carrying out import and export procedures, and about 1.8 million declarations automatically certified through the customs supervision area. Trade turnover reaches the highest level in the Southern region, increasing year by year, the trade turnover of the most recent year reached over US$40 billion, remitting VND50,000 billion to the annual budget revenue, accounting for 35% of revenue of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department.

To serve a large workload, Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch always focuses on reforming procedures, applying information technology, and employing all customs software programs while ensuring strict control and complying with international trade standards, such as: 24/7 electronic customs procedures, public administrative services level 4/4; national single-window portal, online public service portal of the General Department of Customs, electronic tax procedures, electronic tax payment portal, automated system for goods supervision; project on customs procedures in logistics activities and anti-congestion at Cat Lai port.

Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch pays special attention to the fight against smuggling and trade fraud to prevent revenue loss and ensure a healthy business environment for businesses.

In 2023, the Branch conducted price consultations on nearly 10,000 declarations, and imposed taxes of over VND80 billion; inspected nearly 2,000 declarations, collected dozens of billions of dong of tax, especially detected over 1,000 customs administrative violations and prosecuted two serious criminal cases.

The delegation takes photos with Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch and units of Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department. Photo: T.H

Expecting cooperation between the two ports

At the working session, the leader of Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch shared many experiences in fighting against smuggling and trade fraud with the US Customs; and answered many questions from members of the delegation.

Deputy Director of the Department Do The Manh said that following the direction of the General Department of Customs and Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the unit will coordinate with the US Customs to exchange information.

Regarding import-export tax collection, this is one of the key tasks of Vietnam Customs. To have tax revenue for the state budget, Vietnam Customs hopes to coordinate with US Customs to implement solutions to facilitate trade. From the perspective of Vietnam Customs, Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch determines the reform of procedures and shortening of customs clearance time is one of the key tasks of the Customs agency.

In addition to facilitation work, the unit pays special attention to the combat against smuggling and trade fraud. The branch has discovered many violations of customs laws related to import and export activities. To improve the effectiveness of this work, Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch hopes that information exchange between Vietnam Customs and the US Customs will be promoted to improve the efficiency of the coordination work between the two sides.

In 2023, Cat Lai port will welcome 4,150 cargo ships, with a capacity of nearly 6 million TEU of import and export goods. Such a very large number of ships and goods passing through the port, in addition to facilitating trade, Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch always focuses on inspection and anti-smuggling control; goods infringing the Cites convention and intellectual property rights...

Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs hopes to receive support from the US Customs in information exchange and training in anti-smuggling work, especially anti-drugs and intellectual property violation…

Thanking the warm and thoughtful welcome of the Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch, the representative of the US Customs Delegation said, through the introduction of the Saigon Port Zone 1 Customs Branch shows that the unit operates in a very professional and modern manner.

According to the program, the senior experts from the US Customs spends two days to survey Cat Lai seaport to serve the pilot implementation of advance information exchange for goods between two large ports of Vietnam and the US.