To: Customs Departments of provinces

Covid-19 situation is still unpredictable with increasing number of confirmed cases and suspected cases in Vietnam. In order to contribute to the epidemic prevention and control effort and protect customs officials from infection during performance of their duty, General Department of Customs requests that Customs Departments of provinces perform the following tasks:

1. Implement the Government’s Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP dated 28/02/2020 on licensing export of medical masks amid effort to control Covid-19 pandemic as follows:

a) Only allow the following enterprises to export medical masks as prescribed in (1) of Resolution No. 20/NQ-CP:

- Enterprises licensed by the Ministry of Health to export for humanitarian aid or international assistance by Vietnam’s Government.

- Exporting and processing enterprises (EPE) whose certificates of investment are issued by competent authorities; enterprises that process goods for foreign parties under processing contracts signed before 01/3/2020. Notices of processing contracts shall be submitted to customs authorities according to Point a Clause 2 Article 56 of Circular No. 38/2015/TT-BTC (amended by Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BTC) before 01/3/2020.

b) Carry out physical inspection of export shipments declared as non-medical facemasks (HS code 63079090); compare them with standards for medical masks in TCVN 8389:2010 published by the Ministry of Science and Technology (enclosed herewith).

If customs officials are not able to tell whether the facemasks are non-medical through physical inspection, they may request assistance from National Institute for Medical Device and Construction – the Ministry of Health or an organization capable of testing medical masks.

c) Sub-departments of Customs at border checkpoints and customs control forces shall enhance inspection and control; take actions against illegal export or smuggling of medical masks across the border. Monitor export of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical clothing, gloves; report to General Department of Customs (via Customs Management Supervision Department) if there is a sharp increase in their export.

2. Facilitate customs clearance of goods, machines, medical devices, preparations, disinfectants, medicines and instruments serving Covid-19 prevention and treatment.

3. Customs officials shall wear standard facemasks and gloves as recommended by the Ministry of Health when having direct contact with customs declarants, goods, luggage and vehicles. Customs officials who have contact with confirmed cases (F0), suspected cases, people who have contact with confirmed cases (F1), people who have contact with F1 (F2), people who have contact with F2 (F3), people who have contact with F3 (F4) are recommended to inform local health authorities, be quarantined and allowed to work from home to avoid transmitting the disease to other officials.

For your reference and compliance. Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this document should be reported to General Department of Customs (Customs Management Supervision Department) for consideration./. /.

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