Công văn 6150/TCHQ-GSQL

To Customs Departments of provinces and cities,

Through recent monitoring and inspection, customs authorities have discovered several cases of importation of expired goods.  In order to control the import of expired goods into Vietnam, especially before and after Vietnamese Lunar New Year, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is requesting Customs Departments of provinces and cities to direct their Customs Sub-Departments to:

1. Strengthen the verification and analysis of particulars of goods to assess potential risk of expiry dates for imported goods, e.g. food, beverages, drugs, medicinal ingredients, especially for consignments that have arrived at the port but overdue for customs clearance; In case there are signs of violation, carry out the physical inspection of goods; Check the expiry dates of food and beverages on their labels according to the provisions of the Government’s Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP dated April 14, 2017 (amended and supplemented by the Decree No.111/2021/ND-CP dated December 9, 2021); Check days left to expiry of imported drugs and medicinal ingredients at the time of customs clearance according to the instructions given in the Official Letter No. 6068/TCHQ-GSQL dated September 16, 2020 of the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

2. Request customs declarants to provide full information about the expiry dates of imported food, beverages, drugs and medicinal ingredients on their customs declaration forms.

3. In case of detecting violations involving the expiry dates of goods, concerned units must consult specific case files and the provisions of Article 17 of the Government’s Decree No. 98/2020/ND-CP dated August 26, 2020, stipulating penalties for violations arising from commercial activities, to take legally permitted actions and promptly notify relevant authorities to cooperate in doing so.

For your information and compliance./.