Customs Policies Effective from Early July 2018

1. HS Codes for Medical Devices Effective from July 1, 2018

On May 15, 2018, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 14/2018/TT-BYT on the promulgation of a list of medical devices determined to have commodity codes according to the list of Vietnam's export and import goods.

The list includes 81 medical devices along with their respective HS codes, such as:

- Metal syringes, surgical needles, metal surgical needles; needles, blood and fluid collection devices; needles for artificial kidney systems; vascular catheters (9018.32.00);- Ophthalmic instruments and devices (9018.50.00);- Vein monitoring kits, vein illuminators (9018.90.20);- Hearing aids, excluding parts and accessories (9021.40.00);- Computer controlled CT scanners (9022.12.00);- …

The itemized list of medical equipment with designated commodity codes serves as the basis for organizations and individuals to declare customs when exporting or importing medical devices to Vietnam.

Detailed list available in Circular 14/2018/TT-BYT, effective from July 1, 2018, replacing Appendix I of Circular 30/2015/TT-BYT.

2. List of Vehicles and Devices Prohibited from Import

From July 10, 2018, the import, production, and trading of devices that do not meet the minimum energy efficiency levels specified in Appendix I of Decision 24/2018/QD-TTg is prohibited, including:

- Household devices group: Compact fluorescent lamps (TCVN 7896:2008); Straight tube fluorescent lamps (TCVN 8249:2009); Electric fans (TCVN 7826:2007); Refrigerators, freezers (TCVN 7828:2013); Household washing machines (TCVN 8526:2010); Rice cookers (TCVN 8252:2009) …;- Office and commercial devices group: Computer monitors (TCVN 9508:2012); Photocopiers (TCVN 9510:2012); Printers (TCVN 9509:2012) …;- Industrial devices group: Three-phase squirrel-cage induction motors (TCVN 7540-1:2013); Distribution transformers (TCVN 8525:2010) …

For more information on devices prohibited from import, see Decision 24/2018/QD-TTg, effective from July 10, 2018.

3. Amendment of Regulations on Certificate of Origin Form EAV

Circular 11/2018/TT-BCT amends and supplements Circular 21/2016/TT-BCT issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on May 29, 2018.

The procedures for issuing and verifying the Certificate of Origin Form EAV must follow the legal bases:

- Appendix I issued together with Circular 21/2016/TT-BCT;- Decree 31/2018/ND-CP providing detailed regulations on the Law on Foreign Trade Management regarding the origin of goods;- Circular 05/2018/TT-BCT on the determination of the origin of goods.

Simultaneously, this Circular issues an appendix replacing Appendix II - Specific product rules attached to Circular 21/2016/TT-BCT.

Circular 11/2018/TT-BCT officially takes effect from July 1, 2018.

4. Quality Inspection Exemption for Group 2 Goods Imported 3 Consecutive Times

This is a new point added in Decree 74/2018/ND-CP amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree 132/2008/ND-CP detailing the implementation of some articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality.

For imported goods (excluding vehicles) with the same name, utility, brand, type, technical characteristics from the same manufacturer and origin by the same importer, after 3 consecutive imports with results consistent with national technical standards, they are exempt from quality inspection for 2 years.

To be exempted from quality inspection for imported goods, the importer must have a written request for exemption containing the following information: Name of goods, brand, type; technical characteristics; origin, manufacturer; quantity, weight of imported goods as registered; unit of measure; results of conformity assessment with national technical standards for 3 consecutive instances.

More details can be found in Decree 74/2018/ND-CP, effective from July 1, 2018.

5. List of Information Technology Goods Required to Be Declared for Compliance

On May 8, 2018, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued Circular 04/2018/TT-BTTTT regulating the list of products and goods capable of causing unsafety under the management responsibility of the Ministry.

The Circular stipulates two lists of products and goods capable of causing unsafety:

- List of specialized information technology and communications products and goods required to be certified and declared for compliance: Public land mobile communication terminal devices; Digital microwave devices; Digital television transmitters DVB-T2; Short-range radio transmitters and transceivers for general purposes…;- List of specialized information technology and communications products and goods required to be declared for compliance: Desktop personal computers; Tablets; Laptops; Servers; Switches; Firewalls; Gateways; Lithium batteries for laptops, mobile phones, tablets…

Circular 04/2018/TT-BTTTT takes effect from July 1, 2018.

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