Vietnamese Importers Unable to Claim Preferential Tariffs Due to Delays in COs Created by Coronavirus Outbreak

Vietnamese importers are struggling to import goods from China due to delays in receiving certificates of origin because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Feb. 27 report from CustomsNews, the mouthpiece for Vietnam Customs. Chinese suppliers have been unable to submit the certificates within the country’s mandatory time limit, which is causing traders to be unable to prove they qualify for preferential tariff rates, the report said. Normally, Chinese suppliers provide the certificates “a few days” after exporting the goods, the report said, but some certificates have been delayed by weeks. Some importers made declarations in January and have still not received certificate of origin documents to submit to Vietnam Customs, the report said. Vietnamese companies are reportedly asking the country’s customs authority to extend the deadline for additional submissions of certificates of origin to the end of March.