Warning about counterfeit durian export packaging codes

On December 20, Vina T&T Import Export Trading Service Company Limited issued an urgent notice that the company's packaging facility code VN-BTPH-036 was being counterfeited and illegally used to export durian to the Chinese market.

Durian has high export value - Photo: MV

According to the announcement, an unidentified person forged the seal and signature of Mr. Vo Huu Truong - head of Vina T&T Ben Tre branch (code 031294360-003) - to sign the export authorization contract No. HD/UQTQMĐG-036 with EM Company Limited (abbreviation) on December 10, 2024.

This person then issued Official Dispatch No. 03/BVTV/2024 dated December 12, 2024 regarding the illegal authorization of the use of packaging codes.

Based on these forged documents, EM Company signed export authorization contracts with many other businesses, allowing them to use the code VN-BTPH-036 to package and export durian to China through Vietnam's border gates.

As a result, there are currently many shipments of fresh durian with fake packaging codes of Vina T&T.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung - General Director of Vina T&T - said that it is even more worrying that Vina T&T has discovered many people selling and offering this packaging code to anyone who wants to export durian to China or for other illegal purposes.

This situation is seriously affecting the company's reputation and export activities.

Vina T&T affirms that the company's Ben Tre branch has never owned or used any seal, nor has it ever authorized any unit to use its packaging facility code.

The company has sent documents to the authorities to report and request to prevent this situation, however the situation has not improved.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung said that the surprising thing is that the Plant Protection Department and Customs did not realize this abnormality and both approved the shipments. This shows that there are loopholes in the management of growing area codes as well as records and seals in exports for bad guys to take advantage of and profit from.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre, a leader of the Vietnam Fruit Association said that they have received many reports about the counterfeiting of seals and documents of units with growing area codes for export to China.

This poses a huge risk because the units that buy export codes can take uncontrolled floating goods to sell to China. If they are found to have residues exceeding the threshold, they will be returned or even have their codes closed.

Meanwhile, if the unit with the code does not know this and is still exporting normally, those shipments may be stopped and returned by China and they will lose their export code.

"This is not only a problem for a business that uses fake growing area codes, but also a security issue for the entire Vietnamese fruit export industry to China. Because if not prevented in time, the consequences for the industry will be huge.

We are gathering information to recommend that authorities intervene to close loopholes in the management of fruit export packaging facility codes," he said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canh-bao-tinh-trang-gia-mao-ma-so-dong-goi-xuat-khau-sau-rieng-20241221090109558.htm