The General Department of Vietnam Customs has ordered customs agencies in cities and provinces to place tighter controls on waste imports into Vietnam, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

A large volume of scrap imported recently is placing a strain on the environment - PHOTO: VGP

According to the customs department, a large volume of scrap imported recently is placing a strain on the environment.

Importers that fail to meet the environmental protection requirements of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have falsified documents to import scrap into Vietnam.

In response, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has asked its subordinates to enhance checks on shipments declared as used iron, steel, plastic and paper with codes that differ from those of products eligible for import.

The customs agency also required strict sanctions against waste importers caught flouting environmental protection regulations.

Thanh Nien newspaper had earlier reported that Cat Lai Port in District 2 was flooded with 8,000 containers storing scrap such as paper and plastics. One-third of the containers have been kept at the port for three months. This has caused serious congestion at the port, hindering the operations of the port, shipping companies and those trading in the import-export sector.

SGT