DA NANG — Da Nang authorities have refused entry to 18 containers of shredded scrap imported by a local steel company since they contained “harmful substances”.
The director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), Nguyen Dieu, said on Tuesday that the import of the shipment – by Thanh Loi Steel Joint Stock Company — violated the country’s environment and natural resource protection laws.
The decision was made at a meeting between the DNRE, environment police, customs, and testing agency Vinacontrol Da Nang last Saturday, six days after Vinacontrol tested the contents of the containers.
In its report it described the shipment as scrap containing “harmful substances” rather than “toxic” waste.
The consignment was not “cleaned” before it entered the country, the report said.
The Vinacontrol report revealed that extraneous matters represented from 4.35 per cent to 6.78 per cent of the imported scraps, 8 to 10 times higher than the permitted under 0.5 per cent mentioned in the contract signed between Thanh Loi and Italy-based Global Real Estate and Service Company.
“The 434 tonnes of shredded scrap must be destroyed if Thanh Loi does not re-export it, and the company must bear the costs,” Dieu said.
The company would also be fined VND15—70 million, he added.
Thanh Loi Co. sent a letter to the Da Nang People’s Committee on Monday saying it disagreed with the verdict.
The customs said a further 20 containers with 546 tonnes of shredded scrap were en route to Da Nang Port. Thanh Loi signed a contract to import 1,000 tonnes of shredded scrap with an Italian company.
Huynh Van Tan, director of Thanh Loi, said however the company had not customs cleared the second shipment.
“[It] now means a waste of time and money,” he said.
According to the Embassy of Italy, the Global R.E. & Service on Monday contacted the Embassy, informing that it had provided the Vietnamese client Thanh Loi Steel JSC with all the documentation and certification demonstrating that all the shipment was controlled at the origin by an internationally recognised surveyor. The Italian supplier is ready to work with the Vietnamese authorities to clarify the issue.
The Embassy of Italy in Ha Noi said in a letter to Viet Nam News that “it is waiting to learn the results of the controls done by the relevant Vietnamese authorities. We are obviously ready to co-operate with the Vietnamese authorities, should they request our collaboration on the case.” It also said it had not released any statement regarding the origin of the shipment as reported earlier by local newspapers.—
Bao Viet Nam 