Authorities in HCM City have requested to re-export nearly 1,100 containers of waste at Cat Lai Port which failed to meet Vietnam’s import requirements.

As many as 10,102 scrap containers were held up at Vietnamese ports as of mid-September, a fall of 10,852 containers as compared to the end of 2018, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The amount of scrap imported into Vietnam is likely to rise considerably, the Ministry of Finance has warned.

Government ministries and branches all have vowed to tighten control over scrap steel imports following warnings by scientists that Vietnam may become a dumping ground for the world. But scrap imports are still on the rise.

VietNamNet Bridge - Experts have warned about scrap imports heading for Vietnam as China has stopped importing some types of scrap. 

Some enterprises had several repeated offences in importing prohibited scrap, but they only had to pay a fine of between tens and hundreds of million of dong. 

The General Department of Customs (GDC), in an effort to tighten control over scrap imports, has decided that paper and steel scrap importers must have import samples examined prior to customs clearance.

VietNamNet Bridge - Most of the scrap stuck at ports is imported by Vietnamese companies for re-export to China. However, if the re-exports fail, importers will refuse to receive the scrap.

VietNamNet Bridge - Hundreds of unowned import containers of waste banned by Vietnam have been left at HCMC ports, causing problems for port authorities. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has been unintentionally importing pollution because of loopholes in management over scrap imports.

VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) are still asking enterprises to pay deposit for scrap imports 15 days in advance, ignoring businesses’ complaints about the requirement.