Vietnam Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in vietnam, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Authorized Importers

Vietnamese traders are entitled to (I) export goods of all kinds, except goods on the list of those banned from export, and (II) import goods according to the business lines stated in their business registration certificates. Foreign-invested enterprises and business cooperation parties, apart from the exportation of their own products, may export goods of other kinds, except those on the list of goods banned from export and several goods categories restricted by MOIT. (See Prohibited and Restricted Imports section for further details.) The goods imported by foreign-invested enterprises and business cooperation parties must comply with the provisions of their granted investment licenses, the Law on Foreign Investment in Vietnam, and other relevant legal requirements. Traders that wish to import or export goods subject to import or export permits must obtain permits from related ministries or sectors. Imports and exports must comply with relevant regulations on quarantine, food safety, and quality standards and regulations, and must be inspected by competent and appropriate agencies before customs clearance.

Import Licensing System

Business entities, including foreign invested enterprises with a legally registered business license, may be engaged in direct import and export activities. However, foreign invested enterprises can import materials, equipment, and machinery only for establishing production lines and producing goods in accordance with their investment licenses. Under Vietnam’s WTO commitments, trading rights are now open to all foreign invested enterprises. Vietnam facilitates an automatic import licensing system that requires importers of a wide category of goods to obtain a license from MOIT to get their goods through customs. Distribution rights for these entities are opened to joint venture investment with no limit on capital contribution, and since 2009 have been opened to wholly foreign invested enterprises. (See Trade Barriers section for further details.)

Special Import/Export Requirements and Certifications

Seven ministries and agencies are responsible for overseeing a system of minimum quality/performance standards for animal and plant protection, health safety, local network compatibility (in the case of telecommunications), money security, and cultural sensitivity. Goods that meet the minimum standards can be imported upon demand and in unlimited quantity and value.


 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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