Vietnam: From September 11, 2022, is it allowed to use electronic certificates of quarantine upon quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption?
What are the regulations for the dossier on quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption in Vietnam?
Under Clause 6, Article 4 of Circular 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT (amended by Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT), the provisions are as follows:
Dossier on quarantine registration and declaration
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6. Dossier on quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption:
a) The dossier prepare under the Form No. 03 TS in Appendix V issued with this Circular;
b) The copy with enterprise’s certification or the original of Certificate of quarantine of the exporting country; in case of sending the copy or by the time of sending dossier without providing the Certificate of quarantine from the exporting country must be sent, the original of the Certificate of quarantine from the exporting country must be sent upon check of commodities;
c) The copy bearing the enterprise’s certification of the bill of lading.”
Currently, when making a quarantine declaration for aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption, enterprises must prepare the dossier as per the above regulations.
Shortly, additional regulations on the quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption will be supplemented according to Clause 3, Article 1 of Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT as follows:
Article 1. Amendments to certain Articles of Circular No. 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT dated June 30, 2016 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam on quarantine of aquatic animals and products thereof
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3. Amendments to Point b Clause 6 of Article 4 as follows:
“In case the Department of Animal Health and competent agencies of the exporting country reached an agreement on the electronic certificate of quarantine, it may be used.”
According to the above provisions, shortly, enterprises can use the electronic certificate of quarantine in case the Department of Animal Health and competent agencies of the exporting country reach an agreement on it.
From September 11, 2022, is it allowed to use electronic certificates of quarantine upon quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption?
When should the dossier on quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption in Vietnam be submitted?
Under Clause 2, Article 13 of Circular 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT (amended by Clause 6, Article 1 of Circular 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT), the provisions are as follows:
quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption
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2. Quarantine declaration
a) Upon the receipt of the written approval and instructions for quarantine from the Department of Animal Health, before the shipment arrives at the checkpoint of import, the goods owner shall submit a set of quarantine declaration documents as regulated in Clause 6 Article 4 hereof to the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint of import via the National Single Window Portal, by post, via email/ fax with the original dossier submitted later, or directly;
b) The animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint of import shall process the dossier in accordance with regulations laid down in Clause 3 Article 46 of the Law on veterinary medicine;
c) When receiving the quarantine declaration documents for imported aquatic animals/ aquatic animal products, the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint shall compare the received documents with information concerning illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing posted on the website of European Commission (https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/illegal fishing/info), the website of the Regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) or as announced by competent authorities of other countries. If the shipment is found to be originated from IUU fishing vessel, the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint shall suspend the quarantine and immediately inform the Department of Animal Health for cooperating with relevant authorities in dealing with the shipment.
According to the above regulations, before the shipment arrives at the checkpoint of import, the owner of the goods must send 01 dossier on quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption to the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint of import.
The owner of the goodsshall send the dossier on quarantine declaration of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption via the National Single Window Portal, by post, via email/ fax with the original dossier submitted later, or directly.
What are the contents of the quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption in Vietnam?
Under Clause 4, Article 13 of Circular 26/2016/TT-BNNPTNT (amended by Clause 6, Article 1 of Circular 36/2018/TT-BNNPTNT), the provisions are as follows:
quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption
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4. Quarantine contents
a) The animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint shall comply with quarantine contents prescribed in Article 47 of the Law on veterinary medicine;
b) With regard to aquatic animals used for breeding purpose: Samples shall be taken for testing for diseases as regulated in the Appendix IV enclosed herewith;
c) With regard to commercial aquatic animals: Samples shall be taken for disease testing only when the aquatic animals are found to carry the diseases prescribed in the Appendix III enclosed herewith;
d) With regard to aquatic animal products: The physical inspection of documents and goods shall be conducted at the checkpoint of import or at the place where goods are gathered. If the inspection results denote that the shipment and related documents meet relevant requirements, the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint shall take samples serving testing for the indicators specified in the Appendix IV enclosed herewith and issue the Certificate of transport of imported aquatic animals/ aquatic animal products (using form No. 09TS) to the goods owner for transporting the shipment to the warehouse which is required to meet veterinary hygiene requirements. The goods owner shall be responsible for the transport and storage of imports and is not allowed to transport goods for sale before receiving quarantine results.
If the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint cannot take samples at the checkpoint or at the place where goods are gathered, the sampling may be taken at the warehouse.
Frozen aquatic animal products must be kept at the checkpoint of import until the quarantine results are provided and show that the shipment is satisfactory.
dd) Isolation period for quarantine: The isolation period for quarantine of aquatic animals used for breeding and commercial aquatic animals shall not exceed 10 days and 03 days respectively from the beginning date of isolation. If the isolation is extended, the animal quarantine authority at the checkpoint shall give a written notification indicating reasons for such extended isolation to the goods owner.
Thus, the quarantine of aquatic animals and animal products imported for domestic consumption is currently implemented based on the above regulatory contents.
Circular 06/2022/TT-BNNPTNT will take effect from September 11, 2022.
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