Customs will reduce the time of customs clearance of goods by 10%, facilitating import and export

Vietnam is making efforts to streamline its customs procedures in order to boost trade and improve the ease of doing business in the country. The government recently announced that they will reduce the time for clearance of goods by 10%, making it easier and quicker for importers and exporters to move their products across borders. This move is expected to provide a significant boost to the country’s trade and investment, as well as attract more international businesses to Vietnam. By streamlining customs procedures and reducing red tape, the country aims to become a more competitive hub for trade and investment in Southeast Asia. This is a positive step for the country’s economy and is likely to benefit businesses of all sizes in the near future.

Customs will reduce the time of customs clearance by 10%

The meeting aimed to come up with solutions to boost trade promotion and connect supply and demand, expand export markets, and improve e-commerce, electronic transactions, and the digital economy. The focus was on utilizing free trade agreements, especially new-generation ones, and strengthening information dissemination and business orientation. The goal is to shift export activities towards a more official and sustainable form. In line with these resolutions, the General Department of Customs recently issued a decision No. 123/QD-TCHQ to simplify customs procedures and facilitate trade in 2023. The decision assigns targets for administrative reform, with the aim of creating the maximum convenience for businesses importing and exporting goods. The goal is to save time and costs, shorten customs clearance time, and release goods, with ten key objectives for 2023 to promote trade and improve customs procedures. 

1. The first objective is to improve the quality of risk analysis and assessment, with a goal of reducing the red channel declaration rate by 5% and the yellow channel declaration rate by 10%. This will be achieved through a review of the General Department’s directive documents and reducing the risk management list in the fields of customs operations, converting the customs dossier into electronic documents, reducing the proportion of consignments that must be sampled for analysis, and increasing the rate of enterprises complying with customs laws.
2. The second objective is to reduce the time of customs clearance and release by 10% by following the provisions of Clause 2, Article 23 of the Law on Customs. The General Department of Customs will develop specific solutions to achieve this target, and the responsibility for reducing the total time of customs clearance is not only with the customs authority but also with other stakeholders such as import-export enterprises and specialized inspection management agencies.
3. The third objective is to reduce the number of shipments that must be sampled for analysis and assessment by 20%. 
4. The fourth objective is to convert the customs dossier to electronic documents, with 100% of certificates of origin submitted electronically and coordination with other departments to put the remaining 50% of administrative procedures on the National Single Window.
5. The fifth objective is to increase the number of indirect price consultations by enterprises from 1 to 4. 
6. The sixth objective is to reduce the rate of post-clearance inspection by 25% according to the law compliance plan of the customs declarant. On December 28, 2022, the General Department of Customs issued Official Letter No. 5700/TCHQ-KTSTQ on the list of enterprises undergoing post-clearance inspection, which has approved a list of 144 enterprises for post-clearance inspection, a decrease of 25.7% compared to 2022.
7. The seventh objective is to increase the number of customs declarations cleared through customs agents by 10%. This will facilitate the development of logistics services and help businesses perform customs procedures in a more professional and efficient manner. 
8. The eighth objective is to increase the number of enterprises participating in the Support Program to encourage voluntary compliance with customs laws by 20%.
9. The ninth objective is to improve the quality of dialogue and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles for businesses. The General Department of Customs will complete solving problems during the implementation of customs procedures within 2 working hours, enhance dialogue with businesses online, and reduce 50% of complaints about wrong administrative decisions. 
10. The tenth objective is to carry out administrative procedures in the field of customs supervision and management on the online public service portal, covering procedures related to intellectual property rights, customs clearance agents, and recognition, expansion, contraction, and termination of customs clearance locations.

In conclusion, the recent changes made by the General Department of Customs aim to improve the quality of risk analysis and assessment, reduce the time for customs clearance and release, reduce the number of shipments that need to be sampled for analysis and assessment, and increase the number of indirect price consultations. By converting the customs dossier into electronic documents and reducing the number of documents required, the customs authorities aim to make the process more efficient and streamlined. The General Department of Customs has also taken steps to increase the number of enterprises participating in the Support Program to encourage voluntary compliance with customs laws. They aim to improve the quality of dialogue, promptly address difficulties and obstacles faced by businesses, and carry out administrative procedures online to further simplify the process. These measures are expected to provide a major boost to the import-export industry and help it grow stronger.