Vietnam, US customs join hands in fight against origin fraud hinh anh 1General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can  (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The customs authority of Vietnam has been proactively fighting fraud of origin and illegal trans-shipment, General Director of the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) Nguyen Van Can said on November 1.

In a working session with representatives from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Hanoi, Can also said the two sides have shared information and conducted joint investigations against those that violate laws of the US.

The sector has conducted investigations for six specific cases related to goods exported to the US with Vietnamese origin, and proved that these goods are not eligible to be labeled made-in-Vietnam.

Vietnam’s customs agencies will continue to work with the US side’s agencies to investigate and solve similar cases. They have also paid attention to modernizing customs processing, with 99 percent of customs declaration being processed through e-customs declaration systems, he said.

With the support from the USAID, in the coming time, bilateral trade between Vietnam and the US will be promoted to ensure community safety and security, Can said.

Vietnam Customs has received information from the US Customs on completing procedures for signing a cooperation deal between the two countries’ customs agencies, he added.

According to Can, the agreement will include contents related to mutual technical assistance and information sharing to enforce the law of each side, thus promoting trade development, ensuring safety and security for the community, and fighting terrorism, smuggling and trade fraud.

Addressing the event, USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick said illegal trans-shipment is a hot issue in the trade ties between Vietnam and the US, adding that the cooperation between the two countries in dealing with the issue also represents the commitment of the two governments.

The USAID highly values the cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the GDVC, she stressed.

The USAID pledges to cooperate with all agencies in Vietnam to raising public awareness of preventing illegal trans-shipment, and in training and developing stronger regulatory frameworks to support authentic businesses, she said.

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation is working closely with the GDVC to implement a customs clearance guarantee system, she noted, expressing her hope that this effort will progress in a timely manner./.
VNA