Prime Minister directs urgent handling of case of 4 agricultural product containers lost while exporting to UAE

Specifically, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, and the State Bank to direct the Vietnamese Embassy in the UAE to continue to urgently work with the UAE's competent authorities, coordinate the investigation to clarify the case to take measures to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese enterprises in accordance with international law and local law. The results of the handling must be reported to the Prime Minister before August 5, 2023.

In the immediate future, the UAE side is requested to apply urgent measures to protect a container of star anise of a Vietnamese enterprise at Jebel Ali port (UAE).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade presides over and coordinates with the Vietnam Pepper Association and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to recommend that businesses regularly inform the authorities to verify and carefully evaluate foreign partners before signing transaction agreements to prevent risks when there are issues related to disputes or suspected fraud. Fully and promptly notify the authorities when incidents occur to receive support in resolving them, avoiding arising damages.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for coordinating with relevant ministries and branches to soon establish organizations and associations linking Vietnamese agricultural product exporting enterprises with UAE import and distribution enterprises to create a mechanism for cooperation, information exchange, prevention of fraudulent activities, and resolution of trade disputes.

On the morning of August 1, answering VTC News , Mr. Bach Khanh Nhut, Vice President of the Vietnam Cashew Association, said: "Up to this point, no business has received their money back. Buyers also do not know where they have gone or where they are. We hope that when the Prime Minister issues an official dispatch, things will go more smoothly."

The Prime Minister directed ministries and branches to support businesses that suffered trade fraud when exporting pepper, cashews, and star anise. (Illustration photo)

As reported by VTC News, 4 Vietnamese enterprises exported 2 containers of pepper, 1 container of cinnamon, 1 container of star anise and 1 container of cashew nuts (total value of the shipment: 516,761 USD). Up to now, 4 shipments have been taken out of the port without payment (including 2 containers of pepper, 1 container of cinnamon, 1 container of cashew nuts, with a total value of about 400,000 USD). The possibility that the star anise shipment worth 126,300 USD, scheduled to arrive at the port on July 26, is also at risk of being lost because the original documents have been lost.

"Vietnamese banks used DHL service to deliver the original set of documents to Ajman Bank and Ajman Bank staff confirmed the successful signing of 5 sets of documents. However, for unknown reasons, the original sets of documents were no longer kept at Ajman Bank, so Vietnamese banks repeatedly requested Ajman Bank to make payment. Realizing the delay from both the bank and the buyer, the export company checked the shipping system and discovered that all 4 containers had disappeared from the port. When the incident was discovered, the buyer could not be contacted and now the company has also closed down," said Ms. Hoang Thi Lien, President of the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA).

After the enterprise reported the incident, VPA quickly reported to the Vietnamese authorities, the UAE Embassy in Vietnam and requested coordination and support to help the enterprise recover the goods and handle the related units.

"This matter must be resolved soon to help recover money for the four businesses, and more importantly, to promptly prevent similar cases, first of all, the star anise container is about to arrive at the port," said Ms. Lien.

According to export enterprises, if they do not receive support and coordination at the Government and ministerial levels, it will be difficult for enterprises and individual Vietnamese banks to recover the value of the shipment.

PHAM DUY

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