Vietnam Customs affirms its role in the international customs community

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Vinh Hoai (in the middle) devolved the position of chairman of PTC from her predecessors. Photo: Thu Trang

Cooperation and comprehensive integration

Vietnam Customs has been deployed to complete international cooperation activities, Improve participation efficiency and increase contributions in customs cooperation and integration mechanisms at the frameworks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Forum Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), World Customs Organization (WCO), Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program ...

Vietnam Customs has organized and effectively implemented international commitments on customs and trade facilitation that Vietnam participates in, focusing on commitments within the framework of ASEAN, WTO and free trade agreements (FTAs), partnership agreements, and economic cooperation that Vietnam has signed, ensuring compliance with the implementation roadmap and fully meeting the committed content and level.

Within the multilateral framework, only in 2023, Vietnam Customs has participated in signing 3 cooperation documents and negotiating 5 cooperation agreements such as signing an Agreement on mutual recognition of priority businesses between agencies. Customs authorities of ASEAN member countries; signed the Joint Declaration on global customs cooperation and digital customs (Seoul Declaration) with the participation of 58 countries; signed a Joint Declaration on customs cooperation in drug control in the Asia and Pacific region including 18 participating countries.

Within the bilateral framework, Vietnam Customs has completed the signing of international treaties and international agreements with Korea and the Netherlands and continues to negotiate with many other countries.

In particular, the successful hosting and organization of the WCO Technology Conference and Exhibition marked an important step forward for Vietnam Customs as a member of the WCO.

Vietnam Customs participates in completing and implementing the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN); exchanges information on ASEAN customs declarations and electronic quarantine certificates through the ASEAN Single Window; Deploying the ASEAN customs transit system, from institutional improvement, system software application, and user training; takes on the role of hosting the ASEAN Directors General of Customs (ADGCM) in 2024.

At the same time, Vietnam Customs actively coordinates with partners to implement cooperation programs within the block; and actively cooperates with international organizations such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) under the United Nations; chairing the effective implementation of activities, programs and cooperation projects on customs control on anti-smuggling and anti-drugs, ensuring security and safety,...

Actively affirming its role regionally and internationally

In parallel with other political tasks, to successfully implement the Customs Development Strategy until 2030, Vietnam Customs determined to continuously enhance its role, position and reputation in the world customs community, strengthening international cooperation and integration is a very important task.

Entering 2024, international cooperation and integration activities continue to be implemented proactively and planned by Vietnam Customs.

At this time, Vietnam Customs is rushing to complete plans for the 33rd ADGCM that will take place this June in Phu Quoc (Kien Giang).

By hosting this Conference, Vietnam will fulfill the obligations and responsibilities of the Customs authority of member countries in the ASEAN region, while enhancing the position and role of Vietnam Customs and complying with the general policy of raising the level of Vietnam's multilateral foreign relations.

As a host country in 2024, Vietnam will make efforts to strengthen connectivity and unity among ASEAN countries to continue implementing the ASEAN Customs Development Strategy Plans for the period 2021-2025. In particular, it focuses on prioritizing the implementation of the following contents including ASEAN single window mechanism; ASEAN customs transit mechanism; the mechanism for implementing Mutual Recognition of AEO in ASEAN.

In addition, encouraging increased dialogue and consultation with ADGCM partners to achieve goals consistent with the economic development situation in the new period such as Green Customs and building a customs data ecosystem, customs modernization, electronic data exchange, customs management for e-commerce; simplifying customs procedures for low-value shipments...

Notably, Vietnam Customs will actively promote and play the role of connecting member countries to continue implementing and completing important customs cooperation initiatives in ASEAN such as electronic document exchange, priority businesses, and e-commerce...

Not only affirming its role in the region, most recently, at the 243/244th Meeting of the WCO Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) taking place in Brussels (Belgium) from April 23 to 26 April, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Vinh Hoai, First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium, representative of Vietnam Customs at the WCO was elected to hold the position of PTC President. This is the first time Vietnam Customs is honored to have a representative elected to hold the position of Chairman in one of the important technical committees of the WCO.

Vietnam Customs hoped that this new position would further promote cooperation activities WCO cooperation and integration aims to enhance the position and role of members with many effective contributions to the goals of WCO's policy development as well as bring many practical benefits to customs reform and modernization of Vietnam based on digital transformation and smart Customs model management in the coming period.