Hanoi (VNA) – As of June, more than 500 containers of waste which failed tomeet Vietnam’s import requirements had been re-exported this year, said theVietnam Maritime Administration on August 11.

Statisticsof customs agencies showed nearly 12,300 scrap containers remain at Vietnam’s seaports.Of which, about 7,450 have been stuck for over 90 days.

Underthe maritime administration’s instruction, imported scrap containers can be unloadedonly if their owners have certificates that prove they are qualified to importscrap, including environmental permits and allocation of import quota.

AfterChina banned imports of 24 types of scrap, the amount imported to Vietnam inrecent years has increased. Local firms have imported scrap from many differentcountries as materials for production, with some forging import permits.

Lastyear, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called for urgent measures to improve themanagement of imports of waste as production material.

ThePM directed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to not issue newscrap import certifications or extend the validation of existingcertificates. 

Theministry only considers granting the permit when the direct importer can provea demand for and ability to use the scrap in goods production.

Meanwhile,the Ministry of Finance was tasked with directing customs agencies to hastenclearance for scrap containers of firms or individuals with validcertifications in terms of date and import quota.

TheMinistry of Industry and Trade is in charge of strengthening the inspection andmonitoring of scrap imports trade and usage.-VNA