On May 8th, the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC) and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety organized a dialogue with businesses in the food and export industries to address bottlenecks in import and export procedures.
During the dialogue, many businesses in the import and food safety sectors stated that they have recently encountered numerous difficulties in the process of importing goods, especially food and processing ingredients.
A representative from a food import company stated that many regulations related to specialized inspections and food safety are still unclear, while guidance from different agencies is inconsistent, causing businesses to waste a lot of time completing documentation. Some shipments have to wait for weeks without receiving a specific response. Many documents are repeatedly requested for additional information or transferred through various departments, significantly impacting delivery schedules and warehousing costs.
Similarly, according to Ms. Nguyen Hong Duyen, representative of Neofood Co., Ltd., the company once had a shipment held at customs for more than three weeks due to unclear identification of the relevant specialized management agency. According to the company, the product was classified according to HS code and, based on Circular 20/2012, falls under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture. However, when submitting the application for specialized inspection, the company was instructed that it fell under the jurisdiction of the customs agency and the Ministry of Health , causing the application to be "stuck," and the goods could not be cleared through customs even though they had already arrived at the port.
According to Ms. Hong Duyen, the exchange and verification process between the parties takes many days, even months, causing significant difficulties for businesses. Based on this reality, businesses propose that regulatory agencies strengthen coordination and standardize the handling of cases with overlapping jurisdictions, while also providing clear guidance and a quick processing mechanism to reduce time and costs for businesses.
Furthermore, many food import and export businesses have suggested that regulatory agencies should have a clear point of contact for receiving and responding to requests arising during the import process. According to these businesses, slow responses or a lack of monitoring mechanisms cause them to waste time and money, and hinder their ability to proactively plan their production and business activities.
Responding to the recommendations, Mr. Le Anh Hoang, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC), said that the unit will continue to coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department and other relevant departments and agencies to compile the difficulties and obstacles that arise, and at the same time advise the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to consider resolving them.
According to Mr. Hoang, the businesses' recommendations will also be compiled and sent to the Ministry of Health and other relevant ministries and agencies in order to soon have unified guidelines on specialized inspection and food import activities.
“ITPC is assigned to act as the focal point for receiving, monitoring, and coordinating with relevant units to respond to business proposals. In cases where departments and agencies are slow to respond, the city will issue directives to expedite the process,” Mr. Le Anh Hoang added.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department stated that the unit is continuing to review relevant regulations to ensure that customs clearance is carried out correctly while still facilitating businesses. In reality, some goods are still awaiting guidance from specialized ministries and agencies, which sometimes leads to delays in processing. In the near future, the customs department will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to update guidance and support businesses in carrying out procedures.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department also acknowledged that there is still a problem of lengthy administrative processing times and that the unit will continue to review procedures to shorten processing times and strengthen coordination with relevant agencies to avoid overlapping in specialized inspections.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh/tp-ho-chi-minh-thao-go-diem-nghen-nhap-khau-thuc-pham-20260508155916485.htm
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