Joint Circular No. 8/LB-BĐ-NgT stipulates the responsibilities between the postal service and foreign trade sectors in handling export and import procedures for mail items and parcels.

CIRCULAR

JOINT DECREE OF THE POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS GENERAL DEPARTMENT - MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE NO. 8/LB-BĐ-NGT DATED JUNE 17, 1981 REGULATING THE RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND FOREIGN TRADE SECTORS IN HANDLING EXPORT AND IMPORT PROCEDURES FOR PARCEL POST AND LETTERS

Pursuant to the Customs Regulations issued together with Decree No. 3-CP dated February 27, 1960, and the Regulations on Sending, Receiving, Transferring, and Delivering Parcel Post and Letters issued together with Decree No. 91-CP dated May 2, 1973 of the Council of Ministers, the Post and Telecommunications General Department and the Ministry of Foreign Trade hereby regulate the responsibilities between the two sectors in handling export and import procedures for parcel post and letters as follows:

This technical regulation sets out technical requirements, testing methods, sampling procedures; management requirements; responsibilities of organizations and individuals producing, trading, and importing cigarettes.

1. Postal agencies have the responsibility to ensure the safety and prompt delivery of exported and imported parcel post and letters that have completed customs procedures from the time of receipt until final delivery, in accordance with the regulations on sending, receiving, transferring, and delivering parcel post and letters.

2. Customs agencies under the Ministry of Foreign Trade have the responsibility to ensure the completion of export and import procedures for goods sent in parcel post and letters according to current regulations.

3. Post offices designated by the Post and Telecommunications General Department to handle export and import procedures for parcel post and letters and to exchange mail with foreign countries (hereinafter referred to as international post offices) shall establish customs organizations (hereinafter referred to as postal customs).

4. AT International post offices shall be responsible for arranging workspaces and providing initial desks, chairs, cabinets, and lighting systems for postal customs. Other equipment and tools shall be provided by the customs agency. For newly constructed or renovated international post offices, the postal agency shall coordinate with the customs agency to unify the layout and construction organization, creating favorable conditions for technical equipment installation and cooperation between the two agencies.

5. The Ministry of Foreign Trade shall base its organizational structure and staffing of postal customs on the volume of exported and imported parcel post and letters at each international post office.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. Exported parcel post and letters:

a. Goods sent in exported parcel post and letters must not fall within the category of prohibited exports listed in Appendix 1 attached hereto and must not contravene the provisions of Decree No. 91-CP dated May 2, 1973 of the Council of Ministers, nor be prohibited imports in the receiving country.

b. At post offices with customs organizations, the sender must present the goods to customs. If the goods are approved for export, the postal service will accept them for dispatch after completing customs procedures.

c. At post offices without customs organizations, the sender must fill out a customs declaration form BK26 (C2/CP3, quantity of BK26 as specified for each country) and affix a green label (BV57 "C1") to the parcel post or letters for the postal service to transfer to the designated international post office. AT Here, postal staff will open the parcel post or letters for preliminary export customs procedures in the presence of customs officers. Subsequently, the postal service will reseal the items, and customs will stamp "Customs Procedures Completed" with a customs officer witnessing. If the parcel post or letters do not meet export conditions, they will be returned to the sender.

d. At international post offices exchanging mail with foreign countries, when the postal service seals and packages the parcel post or letters, or hands over the sealed packages to transportation personnel for dispatch, there must be a customs officer present to witness.

2. Imported parcel post and letters:

a. Goods sent in imported parcel post and letters must not fall within the category of prohibited imports listed in Appendix 2 attached hereto and must not contravene the provisions of Decree No. 91-CP dated May 2, 1973 of the Council of Ministers.

b. Customs officers at border checkpoints (international airports, ports...) must witness the handover of sealed parcels and letters. Upon receipt of the mail, if there are discrepancies, postal staff and transportation personnel must prepare a record with a customs officer confirming the actual situation. In case of damage or tear to the package, postal staff and transportation personnel must prepare a detailed inventory list witnessed by a customs officer, the postal service will repackage the items, and customs will seal them with wax or lead wire, followed by the postal service transporting them to their own warehouse (accompanied by the record).

c. Opening parcels and letters at international post offices must be witnessed by customs officers. In cases where parcel post or letters are found torn, damaged, or missing, the postal service will prepare a record (using standard postal records) with customs confirmation.

3. Delivery of imported parcel post and letters:

a. The postal service will only deliver parcel post or letters to the recipient after completing customs procedures.

b. Import procedures in the presence of the recipient: This procedure is carried out at post offices with customs organizations.

When the recipient has valid documentation, postal staff will transfer the parcel post or letters to customs officers, who will conduct the import procedures while the recipient opens the items. Afterward, the postal service will deliver the items to the recipient.

If the import procedures are not yet complete, the postal service will reseal and store the items.

c. Import procedures in the absence of the recipient: This procedure is carried out at international post offices and then transferred to another post office for delivery to the recipient.

At international post offices, postal staff will open the parcels for customs procedures, postal staff will record the types of goods on the non-commercial goods declaration form (in duplicate), both parties will sign the form, one copy will be placed inside the parcel post or letters, and the other copy will be retained by customs (the cost of the declaration form will be paid by the postal service and collected from the recipient). Subsequently, the postal service will reseal the items, customs will witness and stamp "Customs Procedures Completed," and seal with lead wire or wax (lead wire, wax, and binding wire provided by the postal service, wax stamp and pliers retained by customs).

The postal service will weigh the parcel post or letters again and clearly mark the weight (kg) on the packaging.

For the attention of the post office when delivering, above the recipient's address, customs shall stamp "Exempt from Tax" or "Goods with Tax". If tax needs to be collected, customs will issue three copies of a tax notice to be sent together with the postal item for delivery to the delivery post office. Postal items subject to tax collection can only be delivered to the recipient after the full amount of tax has been collected. The post office is entitled to retain 3% of the handling fee from the collected amount and transfer the remaining amount to customs via a money transfer letter attached to the tax notice, after deducting the transfer fee.

d. In cases where postal items contain goods under state unified management and purchase, customs will retain such goods for sale to state trading enterprises and directly pay the proceeds from the sale to the recipient, or transfer the proceeds via a money transfer letter with postage to the recipient along with a handover and sale record.

In cases where postal items contain prohibited import goods, customs will prepare a violation report in three copies (the post office retains one copy, customs retains one copy, and sends one copy to the recipient).

đ. Postal items that are forwarded or returned overseas or returned from overseas must go through the same customs procedures as the initial import/export process.

e. Postal items for export and import only need to undergo customs procedures once. Letters and postcards do not require customs procedures. In cases of suspicion of containing goods or money, the post office will invite the sender or recipient to the nearest foreign trade post office for customs inspection.

g. During the course of work, if encountering situations within the responsibility of other sectors, the post office shall contact relevant sectors to coordinate resolution.

4. Storage of imported postal items:

Unopened bags and packages of postal items and undelivered postal items must be stored in warehouses and properly preserved. In necessary cases, customs officers of the post office or authorized customs officers may request the head of the foreign trade post office to enter the warehouse to inspect the storage of bags, packages, and postal items, comparing actual inventory with records. In this case, there must be a post office officer accompanying the customs officer.

5. Handling of goods scattered in postal items:

Goods in imported postal items that cannot be delivered to the recipient and also cannot be returned to the sender (due to spillage, scattering, inability to determine the country of origin, loss of recipient and sender addresses), the post office and customs will jointly prepare a detailed record of the quantity and quality of each type of goods, with the post office responsible for preservation. Each month, a committee including representatives from customs will handle the matter. Usable goods should be sold to state trading enterprises, and the proceeds, after deducting necessary expenses, will be deposited into the public treasury.

III. RELATIONSHIP AND COOPERATION BETWEEN POSTAL SERVICES AND CUSTOMS

Postal services and customs share responsibility for the import and export of postal items. Both sectors need to closely cooperate with each other on the spirit of socialist cooperation, creating favorable conditions for each other to fulfill their common tasks effectively.

Postal service staff and customs officers, when interacting with senders and recipients of imported and exported postal items, must strictly adhere to regulations regarding serving the people, as stipulated in Decree No. 217-CP dated June 8, 1979 of the Council of Ministers, and principles in state foreign affairs work.

Postal service staff and customs officers have the responsibility to guide individuals with postal items to declare all types of goods, quantities, weights (kg), values, and carefully package them to prevent damage or breakage during transportation.

While working, postal service staff and customs officers must uphold a sense of responsibility and integrity to serve the people well, while correctly implementing the rules promulgated with Decrees No. 3-CP dated February 27, 1960 and No. 91-CP dated May 2, 1973 of the Council of Ministers.

Customs officers working at foreign trade post offices must comply fully with the internal regulations of the post office. When encountering difficulties, both postal service and customs officers will discuss and resolve issues based on state regulations concerning postal service and customs work. If there are differing opinions, both parties must promptly report to their superiors for resolution.

At each foreign trade post office, there should be a specific responsibility agreement between the post office head and the customs officer in charge, regarding the allocation of manpower and appropriate working hours to ensure the quality of operations and labor standards.

Monthly, the head of the foreign trade post office and the customs officers in charge must jointly review the implementation of this circular.

This circular takes effect from the date of signature and replaces Circular Jointly Issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Post Office No. 176A-NT-BĐ issued on December 23, 1964.