There are currently more than 15,000 scrap containers stuck at seaports across the country.

This adjustment is stipulated in Circular 03/2018 amending and abolishing a number of regulations on administrative procedures related to specialized inspections within the scope of state management functions of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Accordingly, Article 1 of this new Circular has amended and supplemented a number of articles of Circular No. 41/2015 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on environmental protection in importing scrap as raw materials for production, stipulating that "the certificate is valid for 3 years from the date of issue" instead of "valid for 2 years from the date of issue" as stipulated in Article 6 of Circular 41/2015.

The updated list provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to the General Department of Customs since the end of July, this Ministry has granted certificates of eligibility for environmental protection in importing scrap as raw materials for production from 2016 to April 2018, which is 228 enterprises. Updated on the public portal of administrative procedure settlement results, as of today (September 30), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has granted 288 certificates to scrap importing enterprises. Of which, more than 100 certificates were granted to scrap importing enterprises on consignment from before. Regarding the issue of scrap management, the Prime Minister has directed in Directive 27/2018 to strictly prohibit the granting of licenses to production facilities to import scrap for the sole purpose of pre-processing, treatment and resale of raw materials.

In addition to increasing the time limit for environmental protection certificates in scrap imports, Circular 03/2018 has amended many regulations on administrative procedures related to specialized inspections under the state management of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. In particular, many regulations in the dossier have been removed, and the number of attached documents in the dossier for granting a certificate has been reduced. Enterprises, individuals and organizations can submit their dossiers through the National Single Window Portal, without having to submit them directly or via postal and telecommunications services as before.

According to an update from the General Department of Environment of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as of the end of September, through inspections at 7 ports nationwide, there were 15,442 scrap containers remaining. Of these, 10,535 containers were left behind for less than 90 days, 4,907 containers were left behind for more than 90 days, and most of the containers contained plastic and paper scrap.