Preventing contraband goods, stabilizing market for agricultural materials

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An Giang market surveillance officers inspect imported fertilizers. Photo: provided the market surveillance force.

Detecting many warehouses storing contraband goods

Facing high prices of fertilizers and plant protection drugs and high demand for fertilizers and pesticides of people in the West, many traders have transported and stored contraband and invalid goods. An Giang's anti-smuggling authority has discovered many warehouses storing large quantities of the above goods.

On October 10, the An Giang inter-sectoral anti-smuggling team worked with the police of Phu Huu commune, An Phu district, to inspect an unnamed warehouse at Group 6, Phu Hoa hamlet, Phu Huu commune. More than 11,150 bottles and packages of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers were found inside the warehouse and 297,000 bags of mangoes from China outside the warehouse. During the inspection, Ms. Nguy Thi E (born in 1968, residing in the locality) admitted she was the owner of the above goods but could not produce invoices and documents proving their origin.

Previously, on October 3, the An Giang inter-sectoral anti-smuggling team inspected the business establishment of Ms. Pham Thi My Phuong, in Khanh An commune, An Phu district and discovered 68 metal boxes printed with foreign labels containing liquid and 600 bags of chemicals with foreign labels, 200 white plastic bins and 132 blue metal bins containing liquid.

All goods had no additional labels. Particularly for 600 chemical bags, the representative of the establishment could not produce legal invoices and documents proving their origin. The working group made a record of temporary seizure of the vehicles and goods for handling in accordance with law.

On the same day, the team seized 400 black plastic cans printed with foreign labels without additional labels as prescribed. They contained liquid on truck plate 67C1-033.38 driven by Le Hoai Duc (born in 1994, residing in Nhon Hoi commune, An Phu district, An Giang province). At the time of inspection, the truck driver failed to present invoices and documents.

According to the 389 An Giang Steering Committee, due to the high price of agricultural materials in recent months, some traders have tried to bring infringing goods into the country to sell for profit.

An Giang inter-sectoral anti-smuggling team inspects warehouses. Photo: Tien Tam

Deputy Director of the An Giang Market Surveillance Department Mr. Huynh Ngoc Ho said to stabilize the market for fertilizers and pesticides, the market surveillance force has cooperated with the Agriculture, Industry and Trade and Finance sectors to strengthen the inspection and control for these items.

According to Mr. Huynh Ngoc Ho, from early 2021, the supply of fertilizers has been stable and is abundant. However, the selling price has surged since January 2021. In which, fertilizer products rose between 19% - 30%; nitrogen even rose 69.7%; pesticides grew from 12% to 42%.

This increase was due to the price of raw materials. The manufacturer must raise the price, so the agents are forced to revise up the price. Besides, due to the pandemic, transportation costs have also gone up, expanding the product prices.

Not only detecting infringing goods at border warehouses, the situation of trading in contraband and expired fertilizers and pesticides is also a problem.

On October 9, the An Giang Market Surveillance Department coordinated with An Giang Police to inspect nearly 12,000 bottles and packages of invalid fertilizers and pesticides without invoices or documents at Mr. Tran Van An's business place in Quoc Thai commune, An Phu district.

Previously, the An Giang inter-sectoral anti-smuggling team inspected two Thanh Phe’s fertilizer and pesticide stores in An Phu district and seized more than 7,700 bags, bottles, cans and packages of pesticides without invoices and documents.

At the time of inspection, the owners of the two stores could not present legal invoices and documents. The working team made a record of temporary seizure of the above goods and handed over the case to the An Phu district police.

According to the An Giang Market Surveillance Department, in the first nine months of 2021, this unit actively coordinated with competent sectors to inspect 142 fertilizer and pesticide stores, found 28 cases of violations such as: trading in pesticide outside the list, trading in goods with incorrect labels, trading in invalid goods. Infringing goods include 6,277 units of pesticides of all kinds and 2,315 units of fertilizers of all kinds.

“For the rest of the year, the Market Surveillance Department will strengthen guidance to working teams to chair or work with other authorities to carry out the inspection and control of agricultural materials in the province," said Huynh Ngoc Ho.