Vietnam: Process of declaration and issuance of C/O

According to Decree No. 31/2018/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, an applicant for issuance of C/O shall fill in the electronic application form available in the electronic C/O issuance system at the address www.ecosys.gov.vn or another website of the issuing authority designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The HS code of goods declared in the C/O is the HS code of the exporting country. If the HS code of a good referred to in the exporting country differs from that of the importing country, the trader is entitled to use the HS code of the importing country and take responsibility for the accuracy of such HS code.

Depending on each case, the process for issuing a C/O shall be different:

- If the applicant attaches an application for issuance of C/O to the electronic C/O issuance system at the address www.ecosys.gov.vn or another website of the issuing authority designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the issuance of C/O shall follow the steps below:

+ The applicant attaches electronic documents of the application for issuance of C/O. These documents shall be certified by the digital signature issued by the competent authority. It is not necessary to submit hard copies of these documents to the issuing authority;

+ Within 6 working hours since an adequate and valid electronic application is submitted, the issuing authority shall inform the processing result in the system;

+ Within 2 working hours since an application for issuance of C/O and a hardcopy of C/O which has been filled completely and validly is received, the issuing authority shall give a hardcopy of processing result to the applicant.

- If the applicant submits the application for issuance of C/O in person at the head office of issuing authority, the issuance of C/O shall follow the steps below:

+ The applicant submits hardcopies of documents of the application for issuance of C/O;

+ Within 8 working hours from an adequate and valid application, the issuing authority shall inform the application processing result.

- If the applicant submits the application for issuance of C/O by post, the processing time limit is 24 working hours since the issuing authority receives the adequate and valid application according to the date stamped on the envelope.

- If an application for issuance of C/O is ambiguous, cannot prove that the goods satisfy the originating criteria, shows signs of fraud in terms of transshipment, or shows signs of violation associated with the former C/O, the issuing authority shall undertake a verification visit to the manufacturing facility.

Decree No. 31/2018/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government takes effect from March 08, 2018.

-Thao Uyen-

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