Circular

on the application of regulations on automatic import licensing to a number of goods items

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 189/2007/ND-CP of December 27, 2007,  defining  the  functions,  tasks,  powers  and  organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 12/2006/ND-CP of January 23, 2006,  detailing  the  implementation  of the Commercial Law regarding international goods trading and goods trading agency, processing and transit with foreign parties;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 41/2005/QD-TTg of March 2, 2005, promulgating the Regulation on goods import licensing; The Minister of Industry and Trade provides the application of regulations on automatic import licensing to a number of goods items as follows:

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

1.  This  Circular  provides  the  application  of  regulations  on  automatic import  licensing  to  traders  that  import  goods  specified  in  attached Appendix No. 01.

2. Imported goods listed below are not regulated by this Circular and comply with current regulations:

a/  Goods  which  are  temporarily  imported  for  re-export,  temporarily exported for re-import, transferred from/to border gate or transited;

b/ Goods imported through non-commercial channels;

c/ Goods imported to directly serve production and processing (including those imported for assembly, repair or warranty);

d/ Goods imported from abroad into non-tariff zones and goods produced, processed or assembled in non-tariff zones which are imported into the inland;

e/ Goods imported for sale at duty-free shops;

f/ Goods imported for the formation of fixed assets of investment projects under the Investment Law.

Chapter II

GRANT OF AUTOMATIC IMPORT LICENSES

Article 2. Registration for grant of automatic import licenses

1. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall grant automatic import licenses to traders by certifying the import registration application for each goods lot. Particularly for goods imported through road border gates or from nontariff zones into the inland, their import registration shall be certified in chronological order.

2. An automatic import license is valid for 30 days, counting from the date the Ministry of Industry and Trade gives its certification.

3. The director and deputy directors of the Export-Import Department, the director-chief and deputy directors-deputy chiefs of Ho Chi Minh-based representative office of the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall sign for certification automatic import registration applications and may use the seal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade or of its representative office in Ho Chi Minh City.

Article 3. Dossiers of application for automatic import licenses

1.      A dossier of application for an automatic import license comprises:

a/ Automatic import registration application: 2 copies (made according to the form provided in Appendix No. 02 to this Circular);

b/ Business registration certificate or investment certificate or business license: 1 copy (with the trader’s true-copy stamp);

c/ Import contract or equivalent document: 1 copy (with the trader’s truecopy stamp);

d/ Commercial invoice: 1 copy (with the trader’s true-copy stamp);

e/ Letter of credit or payment document: 1 copy (with the trader’s truecopy stamp); or written certification of via-bank payment (enclosed with a written request for via-bank payment certification), made according to the form provided in Appendix No. 03 or 04 to this Circular: 1 original;

f/ Bill of lading or transportation document of the goods lot: 1 copy (with the trader’s true-copy stamp);

2. For goods imported through road border gates or from non-tariff zones, traders  are  not  required  to  submit  bills  of  lading  or  transportation documents but shall submit reports on importation for previously certified import registration applications, made according to the form provided in Appendix No. 05 to this Circular.

3. Addresses for receiving dossiers of registration for automatic import licenses:

- The Industry and Trade Ministry’s head office at 54 Hai Ba Trung street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi;

- The Industry and Trade Ministry’s representative office at 45 Tran Cao Van street, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade requests traders to send licensing registration dossiers by post to the above addresses.

Article 4. Time limit for granting an automatic import license

1. An automatic import license shall be granted within 7 working days after the Ministry of Industry and Trade receives a trader’s complete and valid dossier as required in Article 3.

2. Automatic import licenses shall be sent to traders by post to addresses indicated in their registration applications.

3. When a trader’s import registration dossier submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Trade is incomplete or invalid, the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall send by post a notice to the trader to the address indicated in his/her registration application.

Article  5. Regulations on automatic import licenses upon carrying out customs procedures

When carrying out import procedures, a trader shall submit an automatic import license granted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, enclosed with the import dossier set, and fully abide by current regulations on goods clearance  border  gates,  imported  goods  items  and  goods  subject  to specialized management or conditional trading.

1. When an automatic import license is lost, mislaid or damaged, a trader shall send a registration dossier set specified in Article 3 and give a written explanation to and request the Ministry of Industry and Trade to re-grant the  license.  An  automatic import  license shall be re-granted  within 5 working days after the Ministry of Industry and Trade receives the trader’s complete and valid dossier.

2.When  an  automatic  import  license  expires,  a  trader  shall  send  a registration  dossier  set  specified  in  Article 3,  a  trader  shall  send  a registration dossier set specified in Article 3, the original license and a written request to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for cancellation of the license and grant of a new one.

3. When necessary to modify the contents of its automatic import license, a trader shall send a registration dossier set specified in Article 3 (enclosed with the modified registration application), the original license and give a written explanation to and request the Ministry of Industry and Trade to modify  such  contents.  A  modified  automatic  import  license  shall  be granted within 5 working days after the Ministry of Industry and Trade receives the trader’s complete and valid dossier.

4.  The Ministry of Industry and  Trade shall revoke automatic  import licenses granted in contravention of regulations and notify such revocation to concerned agencies.

Chapter III

ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 7. Effect

This Circular takes effect on July 12, 2010, and replaces the Industry and Trade Minister’s Circular No. 17/2008/TT-BCT of December 12, 2008, guiding the application of regulations on automatic import licensing to a number of goods items.

Article 8. Transitional provision

Automatic import licenses granted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade before July 12, 2010, under the Industry and Trade Minister’s Circular No. 17/2008/TT-BCT  of  December 12, 2008,  guiding  the  application  of regulations on automatic import licensing to a number of goods items, remain valid for the certified contents.

Article 9. Implementation responsibility

Traders and involved parties should report in writing any problems arising in the course of implementation of this Circular to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for timely handling.

For the Minister of Industry and Trade Deputy Minister

 goods items, automatic import licensing, Commerce - Advertising