Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted a circular stipulating that only some qualified businesses are eligible to export minerals.
The draft says enterprises exporting minerals should be established and run as per the Law on Enterprises as well as the Law on Commerce.
The companies should not have violated laws and regulations relating to minerals, environment protection and mineral exports or have temporarily suspended their export activities. Minerals meant for export should be processed as per quality standards and be in the list of exported minerals.
The draft also stipulates that exporters having minerals with less than 0.05 percent thorium and uranium have to apply for the licence given for the export of radioactive materials, as granted by the science and technology ministry.
The ministry said local mineral exporters would have to follow normal customs procedures, while showing the original documents and copies declaring certification of quality and analytics on the quality and standard of each mineral consignment for export. Records proving the legal origin of the mineral exports will also be required.
In addition, exporters have to report about the quantity of their previous mineral exports.
The draft says customs officers at border gates have to take samples of each mineral consignment to check their quality to prevent the export of raw minerals.
Businesses will have to pay for the tests in laboratories that follow the Vietnam Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (VILAS).
Enterprises that violate regulations about the declaration of mineral quality will be punished as per current laws and will be prevented from exporting minerals till they get the ministry's approval.
Four kinds of minerals, allowed to be exported on a limited basis till 2020, are titanium slag type 1 and type 2, reverted illuminate, concentrate rutile ore and white marble lumps.-VNA