Customs responds to complaints regarding the declaration of imported chemical composition.

Recently, the Customs Department received feedback from several associations and businesses regarding the requirement to declare 100% of the chemical composition information when processing import procedures. On May 19th, the Customs Department provided information on this matter.

According to the Customs Department, since the Chemical Law 2025 and its implementing guidelines came into effect, neither the Department nor its regional customs branches have issued any documents providing guidance related to the export and import of chemicals.

Customs inspection and supervision activities are always carried out consistently according to the risk management principle to provide maximum convenience for businesses that comply well with the law.

Regarding the provision of information, technical documents, and related certificates concerning the import and export of chemicals, the Customs Department believes that chemicals are special goods requiring in-depth expertise to determine their nature, while management requirements are strict and complex according to the law on chemicals (for example, hazardous chemical concentrations below the threshold of 0.1%, 1%, and 5% are exempt from import/export licenses and business licenses).

Based on the provisions of Clause 5, Article 19 of the Customs Law, the customs authority may request the declarant to provide additional information, technical documents, and related certificates in cases where there is insufficient basis to determine the accuracy of the goods, such as when the customs dossier does not clearly show the composition, or there is insufficient basis to determine whether the goods belong to the List of Conditionally Controlled Chemicals, Specially Controlled Chemicals, or Prohibited Chemicals; or when the customs dossier does not provide complete information on the concentration and content of the chemical components, or there is no basis to determine whether the chemical meets the conditions for applying for exemptions from the issuance of Licenses/Certificates (the limit thresholds of 0.1%, 1%, and 5% as prescribed by specialized laws).

If the information and documents provided by the customs declarant are still insufficient to legally determine the nature and composition of the chemical, the customs authority will conduct analysis, classification, or request expert assessment as a basis for making a customs clearance decision in accordance with the law.

Regarding the protection of trade secrets, information including chemical safety data sheets; the purity of chemical mixtures; and the hazard level of additives and impurities are not within the scope of confidential information.

As soon as businesses cooperate and provide complete information regarding the chemical composition as requested by the customs authorities, all shipments are processed quickly and in accordance with regulations.

The Customs Department also stated that, during the implementation of the 2025 Chemical Law and its guiding documents, the Department proactively compiled the difficulties and obstacles facing the export and import of chemicals and submitted a written request to the Chemical Department ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) for their early response so that customs authorities and businesses can reach a consensus on customs procedures for the export and import of chemicals.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hai-quan-len-tieng-ve-phan-anh-khai-bao-thanh-phan-hoa-chat-nhap-khau-750742.html