The customs agencies of Vietnam and New Zealand will implement a cooperation program over the next two years that will focus on three areas of collaboration.
Vietnam Customs and New Zealand Customs signed the cooperation program for 2017-2019 on November 6, 2017. At the signing ceremony, director general of Vietnam Customs Nguyen Van Can said technical support will be provided by New Zealand Customs to Vietnam Customs in the three fields of advance ruling, code classification and application, and Authorized Economic Operator management and implementation.
The cooperation will help Vietnam Customs develop its capacity, while ensuring that state revenues and compliance to commitments related to trade facilitation are realized. The director general also said he would direct units of Vietnam Customs to work with the experts of New Zealand Customs in enhancing Vietnamese performance of customs activities.
Earlier, in a dialogue between Nguyen Van Can and Christine Stevenson, acting director general of New Zealand Customs, the two sides reviewed and assessed the results of their previous bilateral cooperation and discussed measures to support each other’s customs work in line with agreements signed in 2010.
The cooperation fields will focus on exchanging information and strengthening cooperation, supporting the fight against smuggling and drug trafficking, and preventing violations of intellectual property rights and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The two sides also agreed to cooperate on multilateral forums such as the World Customs Organization and World Trade Organization, and during negotiation and implementation of free trade agreements.
Photo courtesy of New Zealand Customs
