Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Natural Resourcesand Environment (MoNRE) is seeking to remove scrap parts used for manufacturingfrom allowed import lists which eithercontribute to polluting the environment or can be supplied locally, asspecified in Decision No.73/2014/QD-TTg.

Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh told a press conference,held in Hanoi on July 17, that this decision would help prevent Vietnam frombecoming a destination for scraps from other countries, and was in response torecent concerns about the large backlog of scrap imports in the country.

The proposal has been sent to Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc, Thanh noted

Furthermore, Vietnam needs to focus on developing andimporting advanced, environmentally-friendly technologies to gradually reduce theinflow of scrap imports and accelerate the recycling of domestic wastes, hesuggested.

Total waste imports in 2017 doubled those from theprevious year with big surges seen in imports of iron, steel, plastic, andpaper scraps, said Hoang Van Thuc, Vice Director of the Vietnam EnvironmentalAdministration (VEA), at the press conference.

Notably, the volume of imported plastic scraps in thefirst five months of 2018 almost doubled the total figure of last year. Most ofthe imported scraps have been stuck at ports in Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong,and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, he added.

Data from the HCM City Customs Department and the SaigonNewport Corporation show that as of June 26, up to 4,480 containers of scrapshad remained at ports managed by the corporation for at least 30 days. Theseincluded 3,464 containers in Cat Lai Port.

Some 1,244 scrap containers have been stored at ports inHai Phong.

It was estimated that about 20 percent of imports werepaper, while the rest was plastics and other types of scrap material.

Regarding solutions to clear the large number of scrapcontainers being left at ports for an extended duration, Thuc said customsoffices at the ports will be asked to closely work with the VEA to track down consigneesof the containers and handle these cases in compliance with regulations.

Any containers left unclaimed for more than 90 days willbe sorted out and treated according to Circular No.203/2014/TT-BTC, issued bythe Ministry of Finance, which offers a guideline for the handling ofbacklogged goods within areas of customs operation, he stated.

The ports will also be requested to carefully check theenvironmental permits of the imported scrap containers before allowing them tobe unloaded, he added.

For the long term, the MoNRE and other related ministriesand authorities will be revising legal documents on the management of wasteimports, taking into account environmental protection, as well as putting intoplace a mechanism to manage, control, and prevent the trade and import of scrapsfrom afar.

According to the Sai Gon New Port Corporation, the volumeof scraps coming to Vietnam's seaports has piled up dramatically since thebeginning of the year due to impact of China’s recent ban on imports of plasticscrap from the European Union, the US, and Japan, who are now sending them to otherSoutheast Asian countries, including Vietnam. –VNA