About 3,000 scrap containers comprising steel, plastics and paper have been congested at Cai Mep-Thi Vai seaport complex as owners have not received their goods, reported the Customs Department in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

Thousands of scrap containers congested at Cai Mep-Thi Vai seaport

Explaining the congestion of scrap containers at ports including Cai Mep-Thi Vai, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that China has stopped importing 24 types of scraps for recycling, creating import sources for nations in need of scrap import for recycling including Vietnam.

Many businesses have signed contracts with foreign partners to import scrap although they do not have environment protection certifications according to regulations.

Some businesses have been unable to supplement relevant papers and abandoned their scrap containers. Some have even declared wrong business address or moved to new places without update.

In addition, many scrap consignments do not have conditions on customs clearance because of shipping lines’ insufficient declaration in the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest, colloquially called e-Manifest.

Authorized agencies say that Vietnam is not a remote control mechanism to scrap import so they have been positive in coping with ship-owners and goods owners deliberately breaking regulations.

To settle the issue, ports’ management board should identify the owner and type of commodity before importing scrap. If shipping lines do not make clear these, their scrap containers will not be permitted to enter ports, aiming to prevent the congestion of unowned containers as present.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs has sent Document 6644 guiding scrap import management to customs divisions in cities and provinces nationwide.

According to the document, scrap containers will only be permitted to enter ports if they have environment protection certifications. Goods receivers must leave a security deposit to make sure that they will take their goods. The volume of scrap unloaded at ports should not exceed the permissible import volume.

The Customs Department in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province said that Saigon Newport Company plans to remove some scrap containers from Cat Lai seaport in HCMC to neighboring seaports including those Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Still, Mr. Nguyen Van Trinh, chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau provincial People’s Committee proposed to temporarily halt receiving of scrap containers from Cat Lai seaport to focus on handling those congested at ports in the province at the meeting on November 14.

SGGP