“Challenges in Customs and International Trade in the Post Covid-19 Era” Seminar

On March 31^st, 2022, School of Public Finance, UEH College of Economics, Law and Government organized a seminar on “Challenges in Customs and International Trade in the Post Covid-19 Era” to share and update development tendencies in the field of Customs - International Trade in the 2022 - 2025 period. The seminar received the participation of representatives of Customs Institution, corporates in the field of Logistics, lecturers, and students of the School of Public Finance and CELG.

Adapting to the “new normal” condition, School of Public Finance held a seminar on “Challenges in Customs and International Trade in the Post Covid-19 Era” via online combined with offline (Hybrid) format. The seminar discussed related topics as follows:

Digitalization in the field of Vietnamese Customs;
Challenges in Customs and International Trade in the Post Covid-19 Era;
Vietnam - Japan mutual trade structure in the Post Global Financial Crisis 2008.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Hong Thang - School of Public Finance - stated to open the Seminar

Dr. Pham Thai Binh - Director of the Customs - International Trade Management -introducing the content of the Seminar

Opening the Seminar, Mr. Cao Ngoc Tam - Head of Import and Export Tax Agency, Dong Nai Customs Department - introduced the main points of the digitalization mission of the Customs field from the 2000s to the present time in the context of Industrial Revolution 4.0. After almost 20 years of development and continuous innovation, Vietnamese Customs plans to implement a smart customs management system adapting to the most modern standards of the international customs with the aims of bringing practical benefits to corporates and the economy of Vietnam listed as promoting the transparency, reducing customs clearance costs, minimizing the risks of breaking domestic and international laws and regulations, effectively analyzing customs intelligence information, and so on.

“Digitalization in customs is integrated to blockchain technological application, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI)” - emphasized Mr. Tam. Evidence showed that the smart custom management system aims to identify and automate core operations of customs based on a classification harmonious system and HS codes listed as identifying important orders, streaming customs testing, identifying shipments requiring HS code checking, prices, origins, intellectual property, checking tax obligations and scanner images, and so on.

Mr. Cao Ngoc Tam - Head of Import and Export Tax Agency, Dong Nai Customs Department

Useful information provided by the representatives of the Department of Taxation, Dong Nai Province offered discussion issues from guest delegates. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Long - Deputy Head of the Department of Customs of Saigon Border Gate - Zone 1 shared the development and his experience of implementing electronic customs of HCMC Customs Department in the past two decades. Finalizing the series of issues and general assumptions of delegates and lecturers of School of Public Finance was “The smart customs management system is extremely suitable for the current digitalization tendency, vision to 2030, of the Government”.

The seminar became “hotter” when a scientific research awarded group of students (Quang Hiếu, Ngân Khánh, Nhật Hạ, Tường Vy và Huyền Trang) presented the mutual trade structure between Vietnam and Japan. The analysis is based on the comparison of 3 international trade indexes (Comparative advantage, Intra-industry Trade, and Overall balance contribution). The research findings showed that Vietnam exploited well available benefits of agriculture and processed goods exported to Japan, obtained diversity, and maintained greatly its surplus position after signing the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA). The recommended policies were suggested by the research team listed as constructing policies attracting FDI in the field of high-tech, promoting developing supporting industries to gradually advance the localization rate and competitive capability.

The scientific research awarded group of students was presenting

Within the framework of the seminar, Master Vu Thi Tam - Deputy Head of Board of Customer Care, Saigon Newport Corporation gave more in-depth analyses of experience to deal with Covid-19 prevention solutions in logistics around the world, in general, and in Vietnam, in particular, in the past two years (2020 - 2021). Especially, the congestion problem in the circulation of empty containers raising the shipping charges from 2000 USD/ cont 40’ (2019) to 20.000 USD/ cont 40’ (2022) was discussed excitingly. Besides, challenges in the post-Covid-19 pandemic were also “dissected” listed as the Zero-Covid policy of China, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and other shipping problems.

Master Vu Thi Tam - Deputy Head of Board of Customer Care, Saigon Newport Corporation

Responding to non-traditional challenges and asymmetric information in port operation is the content emphasized by Master Tam. In accordance with that, Saigon Newport carried simultaneously long-term and short-term strategies with the aim of assuring the absolutely smooth operation bringing long-lasting economic benefits to the government and firms. Particularly, the Corporation digitalized the process of sending and receiving, connecting the port system Long Binh - Nhon Trach - Mekong River Delta - Cai Mep, promoting the direct sending-receiving capacity and receiving super heavy ships, closely cooperating with ports in the HCMC region, and so on.

The seminar ended with questions from students of the Customs - International Trade Management major and the answers of speakers related to career opportunities for students majoring in Customs - International Trade Management and the human resources demand of logistics and customs majors.

Students questioned the speakers

The seminar “Challenges in Customs and International Trade in the Post Covid-19 Era” took place successfully thanks to the presence and sharing of information and experience in management, research, and practicality in the field of customs - international trade specialists, therefore, students of School of Public Finance updated realistic policies and innovative development in customs - international trade as well as opportunities for their careers and scientific research.

The Head of School of Public Finance delivered the closing speech of the seminar on the online format

Taking memorable pictures at the seminar

Carrying out the process of being a Multidisciplinary and Sustainable University, UEH units and teams are eagerly promoting activities upgrading the quality of teaching and learning, organizing more scientific conferences, focusing on scientific research and connecting with the community to train high-quality human resources being highly competitive in the global labor market and contributing valuable scientific knowledge to the sustainable development of society.

Additional photos related to the seminar