The Ministry of Industry and Trade did not grant Formosa permission to import 160 tons of sludge from China.
The 160 tons of sludge imported from China by Formosa Ha Tinh Hung Nghiep Steel Company Limited were not licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
On the evening of September 19th, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a statement confirming that "it did not grant import permits for the aforementioned shipment to Formosa Ha Tinh Hung Nghiep Steel Company Limited".
The agency also informed that the Ministry has established a working group to coordinate with relevant functional agencies in taking samples to accurately determine the type, characteristics, etc., of the shipment.
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Authorities in Ha Tinh province inspect the sludge imported by Formosa from China. Photo: Duc Hung. |
Four days ago, a ship carrying 160 tons of refractory sludge for Formosa Ha Tinh Company from Hong Kong (China) docked at Son Duong port (Vung Ang Economic Zone, Ky Anh town). A joint task force including police, customs, and industry and trade officials inspected the shipment. Initial inspection results from the inter-agency team indicated that the 160 tons of sludge imported by Formosa from China was in the form of carbon sludge and aluminum powder bauxite, imported for use in the liquefied iron smelting process and the construction of several project components.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Binh, Deputy Head of the Vung Ang Customs Branch (Ha Tinh Customs Department), the sludge from Formosa has been confirmed by the Ministry of Construction as an imported refractory material. On September 11th, the Vung Ang Customs Branch received and cleared the shipment. This item is currently not produced domestically.
"This is not a prohibited item, nor is it subject to state inspection in a specialized field. It's a regular item, included in the list of tax-exempt goods," Mr. Binh said.
However, Formosa Ha Tinh has recently had issues related to wastewater discharge, causing environmental pollution, so authorities are still conducting inspections and taking samples for analysis to ensure safety.
According to VNE
