In 2018, the Ministry of Industry and Trade promulgated Circular No. 12/2018/TT-BCT, elaborating some articles of the Law on Foreign Trade management and government’s Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP dated May 15, 2018. The Circular also provides a detailed list of commodities subject to the suspension of temporary importation and merchanting trade and HS codes. The list does not apply to the merchanting trade transaction where commodities move from the exporting country to the importing country, without going through Vietnam’s border checkpoints. The Circular supersedes a) Circular No. 04/2014/TT-BCT dated January 27, 2014 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade elaborating Licenses issued by Ministries and ministerial-level agencies to traders as prescribed in the Government’s Decree No. 187/2013/ND-CP dated November 20, 2013 on guidelines for the Law on Commerce in respect of international trade of commodities and activities of agency for sale and purchase, processing and transit of commodities involving foreign parties; b) Circular No. 11/2017/TT-BCT dated July 28, 2017 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on temporary import, re-export, temporary export, re-import and merchanting trade of commodities; and c) Circular No. 49/2015/TT-BCT dated December 21, 2015 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on manufacture and outward processing of military uniforms for foreign armed forces.

Circular 139/2013/TT-BTC, came into effect on November 25, 2013, provides updated guidance on customs procedures for several types of exported, imported, and temporarily traded goods.