Vietnam bans soil import, agricultural ministry

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development affirmed that Vietnam has not permitted import of soil into the country after the General Department of Vietnam Customs sent a dispatch to the ministry proposing to allow and guide soil import.

Previously, the general department received a document from Hai Phong City’s Custom Department reporting problems on import and quarantine procedures to soils including clay, kaolin clay and bentonite clay that have been burned.

The Commercial Law and the Government’s Decree 187/2013 detailing the law do not include regulations on soil import management, said the General Department.

Therefore it proposed the ministry to remove the barrier for businesses to import soil.

However the ministry’s Cultivation Department responded that it has not handled any case importing soil for agricultural production for fertilizer making and heard the soil import mentioned for the first time. The purpose of soil import at Hai Phong Port was also unclear.

Citing Item 5, Clause 13 of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Law 2013, head of the ministry’s Legislation Department Nguyen Thi Kim Anh said import of soil and harmful microorganism is banned except cases getting the Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development’s approval.

The ban aims to protect domestic biodiversity because the soil import might bring harmful creatures into the country, causing danger for country environment which authorized agencies can not control.

Khoa Le

Source: SGGP