Deny procedures for trucks carrying heavy loads of goods

illustration image. Source: Internet

The General Department of Vietnam Customs directed the local Customs Departments on the issue relating to trucks carrying heavy loads of goods subject to customs supervision.

Specifically, for vehicles carrying goods exceeding the tonnage, the General Department of Vietnam Customs requested strict implementation of the direction stated in Official Dispatch No. 8307/BTC-TCHQ dated June 23, 2014 of the Minister of Finance on coordination in load control of means of transport to ensure traffic order and safety.

Accordingly, the customs authority would not process the clearance procedures and customs seal procedures for trucks on entry carrying goods exceeding the design tonnage stated in the vehicle registration certificate, exceeding cargo volume stated in the certificate of technical safety and environmental protection of the vehicle.

For consignments in transit through land border gates, imported and transferred to border gates or transported to the port of destination, the customs branch where procedures are carried out for the goods to be transported, will only carry out lead sealing, certifying that the goods are eligible for passing through the customs supervision area for containers containing goods subjected to customs supervision.

The container must meet the conditions for customs seal, customs supervision, not being torn, punctured, expanded, repaired, or increased in size; the locking handle, the latch must have a hole that can be sealed by the customs authority; standards and container sizes must comply with the provisions of Circular No. 64/2015/TT-BGTVT dated November 5, 2015 of the Minister of Transport, promulgating national technical regulations on inspection and manufacturing of containers transported by means of transport.

In case the container of goods on vehicles subject to customs supervision fails to meet the conditions for customs seal and customs supervision, it is a "fake container" or homemade truck, the customs branch where the goods are transported, does not allow loading and unloading of goods on that vehicle and does not confirm the eligibility to pass through the customs supervision area.

For the case of trailers or semi-trailer vehicles having a license for transporting oversized and overweight cargo, it is only allowed to load the goods on the means of transport and confirm the goods passing through the customs supervision area when the vehicle meets the conditions for transporting oversized cargo and overweight cargo and conditions for vehicle circulation on roads are specified in Articles 13, 14 and 20 of Circular 46/2015/TT-BGTVT.

Related to this issue, the media and the press have reported that there was a situation of oversized and overloaded means of transport, non-standard container trucks, self-extending trunks and self-cutting the roof of containers for transporting heavy loads from border gates inland, participating in traffic which was against the Law on Road Traffic, causing traffic accidents.

The Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association (VATA) also reflected that the transportation of goods in homemade "fake containers" exceeded the limit  of the vehicle, posing high risks when the vehicle transported goods from the border gate to the place of delivery.