Businesses receive decisions granting and extending priority enterprise status during a ceremony in Hà Nội on Tuesday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The General Department of Customs has granted or extended preferential treatment status to seven companies as the country seeks to modernise customs procedures and facilitate trade.

Three companies - Hana Micron Vina Co, Luxshare-ICT (Vietnam) Co and Samju Vina C - were newly granted priority status, while four others, Minh Phu Hau Giang Seafood JSC, Hoa Sen Group, Hoya Glass Disk Vietnam Co and LG Electronics Vietnam Hai Phong Co, had their existing status extended.

Businesses granted priority enterprise status benefit from simplified customs procedures, inspections and tax management, as well as post-clearance checks and other arrangements under mutual recognition agreements (MRAs), helping reduce processing times and costs, according to customs authorities.

At the same time, priority enterprises must meet higher compliance requirements. They are required to maintain strong compliance with customs laws, operate effective internal control systems and continue to meet the conditions for priority treatment throughout their operations.

Deputy General Director Trần Đức Hùng said the recognition and extension of priority status reflected the companies' compliance with customs regulations and marked a shift toward more modern customs management.

Speaking at a ceremony in Hà Nội on Tuesday, Hùng said the priority treatment regime was part of a broader shift in customs management from pre-clearance inspections toward post-clearance checks, allowing goods to cross borders more quickly and at lower cost.

Several of the companies receiving or renewing priority status are foreign-invested enterprises, which Hùng said was consistent with Việt Nam's efforts to attract high-quality foreign investment, advanced technology and green transformation.

He said the foreign-invested companies were expected to contribute to technology transfers, global supply-chain optimisation and greater participation by domestic suppliers in international value chains.

Vũ Văn Thanh, general director of Hoa Sen Group, said the company's priority status has enabled faster clearance through the green channel, helping reduce warehousing, storage, staffing and administrative costs and improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese companies and goods in global markets.

Under the priority regime, companies can pay taxes on declarations made during a month by the 10th of the following month, while tax refunds can be processed under a 'refund first, check later' mechanism, Thanh said.

Businesses seeking priority status must comply fully with customs, import-export and tax regulations and meet the prescribed eligibility requirements, he added.

After 15 years, the Priority Enterprise Programme has become an important customs reform, helping move the sector from traditional management methods toward a more modern approach. 

The number of priority enterprises has grown to 74, covering sectors including electronics, high technology, manufacturing, textiles, agriculture and fisheries.

Although priority enterprises account for a small share of the country's import-export business community, they generate about one-third of Việt Nam's total trade turnover on average, according to the department.

Their combined import-export turnover exceeded US$230 billion annually during 2022-25, accounting for about 28-34 per cent of the country's total trade turnover. Their trade turnover hit about $164.52 billion or 30 per cent of the total trade value, it said. — BIZHUB/VNS