From January 1, Hai Phong started collecting fees for using infrastructure, service facilities and public utilities from shipments at all ports in the city.
It is estimated that the city could earn up to VND1.5trn each year.
Individuals and organisations that have shipments stored at bonded warehouses now must pay VND2.2m (USD97) to VND4.8m per container, depending on the load. The fees for goods in transit are VND500,000 to VND1m.
The infrastructure fee is an expansion of the service costs relating to temporary import and re-export, transit, storage in bonded warehouses which was implemented in 2013. Revenues have increased year-on-year and reached VND750bn (USD33m) in 2016.
According to the Hai Phong Department of Finance, its ports receive 80 million tonnes of goods each year and can collect VND1.5trn (66m) from the proposed fees.
However, many import-export firms said the costs were too high because they are already paying customs fees, shipment handling fees and import and export taxes.
Dtinews