Many commodities overlap in specialised inspection

	25 commodity groups were still overlapped when conducting specialized inspection
	Establishing a monitoring mechanism to promote the unified deployment of the National Single Window
	Reducing 12,600 commodities subject to specialised inspection

Taking a sample for specialised inspection for import and export goods at Da Nang Port. Photo: N.L

Achieving initial results

As a focal agency, coordinating with ministries and sectors to implement the Prime Minister’s Decision 2026/QD-TTg on approving the scheme on solutions to improve the effectiveness of specialised inspection for imported and exported goods, in recent years, the Ministry of Finance has coordinated with ministries and sectors to reform specialised inspection for imported and exported goods, including the implementation of review and statistics of goods subject to specialised inspection and management by many agencies and units and proposed solutions for handling. Accordingly, the list of goods has been cut or managed by a focal agency for inspection.

For example, previously, imported steel products were subject to pre-clearance quality inspection by the Ministry of Science and Technology and needed import permits from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Currently, this item is only subject to post-clearance quality inspection and does not need import permits.

Clause 1 Article 15 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP provides that "if an imported goods shipment has many types of food under the management of many ministries, the State inspection agency shall be the agency assigned or designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.”

For overlapping items under the management of many units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, such as goods that must be inspected both for quarantine and quality, or must be inspected for both quarantine and food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has assigned the Quarantine agency to be the focal agency to inspect. However, during the implementation process, there are still problems in the certification, so the General Department of Customs has appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on this issue.

Commodities are overlap in specialised inspection

Besides the results achieved, the Ministry of Finance said there are still overlaps in implementing specialised inspection for many commodities. The Ministry has listed 25 groups of products and goods that are overlapping in specialised inspection, and need many procedures and methods in specialised inspection. These groups are equivalent to 1,012 lines of goods according to HS code of eight digits, and equivalent to 1,501 commodities detailed by specific goods names.

For example, there are imported products and goods both subject to both pre-clearance quality inspection and post-clearance quality inspection according to provisions of two ministries such as:

Steam boilers used in transport and marine exploration and exploitation means, with operating pressure of steam above 0.7 bars, are subject to pre-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and subject to post-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of the Ministry of Transport.

Electric winches are subject to both pre-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and post-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Imported goods and products are subject to post-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of two ministries, such as radars subject to post-clearance quality inspection as per regulations of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Information and Communication; low-voltage electric wires and cables subject to quality inspection as per regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology and fire extinguishers subject to quality inspection as per regulations of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security.

Many imported products and goods are subject to specialised inspection and management as per regulations of many ministries such as steam boilers used in industrial enterprises with operating pressure of above 0.7 bars subject to both the inspection of the minimum energy efficiency as per regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and post-clearance quality inspection as per regulations of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The cooling system is both subject to pre-clearance quality inspection according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and inspection of the minimum energy efficiency as prescribed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Imported household appliances include water heaters, rice cookers, fans, compact fluorescent bulbs, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners subject to quality inspection as per regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the inspection of minimum energy efficiency as stipulated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The imported food under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade are subject to the inspection on food safety and quarantine by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Specifically, pocessed milk and other dairy products (butter, cheese, other products from processed milk); beverage and plant-derived flour and starch. The imported food products are subject to inspection on food safety by the Ministry of Health and quarantine by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, include medical nutrition food or real nutritional products for special medical purposes; additives, flavourings, food processing aids; appliances and materials for packaging and containing food.

There are still imported products and goods subject to specialised inspection and mangement by the same ministry such as both quarantine and food safety inspection, and both quarantine and quality inspection by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

To solve overlaps in specialised inspection and management, the Ministry of Finance proposes that for imported goods subject to same procedures of specialised inspection by the two ministries, they will be managed and inspected by a unit under one ministry. For imported goods subject to many inspection and management methods and procedures of two or three ministries, they will be managed and inspected by a unit under one ministry. For imported goods subject to many inspection and management methods and procedures of the same ministry, they will be managed and inspected by a unit of that ministry.

However, to implement the solutions, the Ministry of Finance proposed the Government Office to consult ministries and sectors to assign a focal agency to implement procedures for specialised inspection for one product and goods and inspect and control the implementation of ministries and sectors and submit them to the Prime Minister.