Seeking import licence after goods arriving at the port not allowed from 20 April

According to the Trade Department under the Ministry of Commerce, seeking an import licence prior to the goods arriving at the port is required starting from 20 April 2022.
In a bid to have a smooth trade flow, the MoC earlier allowed the importers to make shipments before customs regulations. Import licence can be held even on the day when the goods arrive at the port. If the importers have not received any permit, customs regulation was previously valid prior to arrival processing.
However, some importers took advantage of that process and applied for an import licence only after the goods arrived. According to the Import/Export regulation 2015 notification (93/2015) of the Ministry of Commerce dated 22 October 2015, some goods that require an import licence for export must not have arrived before the import permit.
Additionally, as per the notification of the Ministry of Planning and Finance, customs regulation must be in line with the notification (50/2020) of the Ministry of Commerce dated 8 July 2020, stating that the goods that require import licence must not be shipped prior to the permit, except the goods which require customs warehousing procedures.
Those companies that failed to seek import licence prior to those goods arriving at the port, except those related to the customs warehousing procedure, will face legal actions in compliance with the export/import laws.
Some companies and entrepreneurs still violate the rules to avoid unnecessary loss regardless of the notification. The importers cannot seek import licence only after the arrivals of the goods starting from 20 April 2022. MoC notified the importers again on 5 April 2022 of the legal actions for violations under the export/import law. — NN/GNLM