Old machines for sale on a website in Dak Lak Province. — Photo thumuaphelieudaklak.com

The General Department of Customs will not process import procedures for outdated machinery and equipment to enter Viet Nam, said the department on September 18.

The department requested officials in the provincial and municipal branches not to carry out customs procedures for expired machinery, equipment and technological chains from other countries.

It guided all branches to carefully check all details of the customs dossier to find outdated machines, equipment and technological chains, especially ones from non-G7 countries or Korea.

Earlier in June, the country banned imports of used machinery, equipment and technological chains that were more than 10 years old to stop outdated, poor quality, polluting and unsafe used machinery, equipment and production line technology being used in the country.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) stated that allowed imported machinery should have at least 85 per cent of its original capacity and energy and raw material consumption should not be up by more than 15 per cent from the original design. They should also not be on the list of prohibited or discouraged items under Vietnamese law.

Last year, MoST published a list of old machinery and equipment whose import is prohibited and announced a list of 17 centres to inspect the quality of the machines in Viet Nam.

Expanding as a manufacturing hub, Viet Nam is now importing machinery and equipment from all over the world. However, analysts have warned that the country may become a landfill for outdated machinery.

According to the General Department of Customs, the import of Chinese machinery and equipment grew sharply in the first 8 months of the year, reaching US$9.4 billion, as much as 27.7 per cent higher than the same period last year. It also accounted for 30 per cent of the import turnover of the country in the same period. — VNS