TTO – According to information from the Vietnam Pepper Association, pepper exporters are facing difficulties because the customs put this item into export with conditions for export control.
Farmers in Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province dry pepper for the new crop.
Accordingly, when enterprises open the pepper export declaration, they are classified into the “golden stream”, that is, they are subjected to detailed inspection of records and documents instead of the green channel (exempt from detailed inspection of goods). before.
This has caused a lot of difficulties for businesses as costs increase, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak, traveling to process customs declarations will have many potential risks of exposure to COVID. -19.
Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, chairman of the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), said that the association had sent an official dispatch to the General Department of Customs to raise questions and difficulties of businesses.
In the official reply from the Risk Management Department (General Department of Customs), the classification of pepper into the group of medicinal herbs is due to the regulations of the Ministry of Health in the circulars guiding the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Law.
Specifically, according to Circular 48/2018/TT-BYT, pepper products with HS code 0904.11.20 are on the list of imported and exported medicinal herbs. Even on March 4, 2021, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 03/2021/TT-BYT removing a number of items including pepper from the list.
However, Article 3 of this Circular still stipulates: “In case the exported or imported goods specified in the Appendix issued with this Circular are used for the purpose of making drugs and medicinal ingredients, the comply with the provisions of legal documents on pharmacy”.
The Ministry of Health still considers pepper as a medicinal herb that must ensure the conditions for pharmaceutical products to be exported, or businesses must prove that the pepper is sold to a partner as a common food or condiment – Photo: BUI LIEM
Thus, if pepper is in the group of conditional export items, the customs authority must divide the inspection channels according to specialized management documents. If it is determined that the pepper exporter is a medicinal material not used for medicinal purposes, the customs authority shall carry out customs clearance on the system, ensuring convenience for the enterprise.
According to Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai, the inclusion of pepper in the list of conditional export goods is too unreasonable and affects the business activities of enterprises. While this is a key agricultural export product of Vietnam in the past 20 years.
In the context of economic difficulties, exports are difficult because of the epidemic, management units need to support businesses to easily complete procedures rather than introduce difficult regulations.
“VPA has sent official letters to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to report and propose to the ministries and sectors to remove difficulties for the Vietnamese pepper export business community,” said Mr. Hai.
According to the Tran Manh (Tuoi Tre Newspaper)
