List of prohibited imports into Vietnam
Nowadays, the trade of goods between countries is increasingly active. However, many types of imported goods will seriously affect the importing country’s economy, culture, and environment. Therefore, Vietnam sets specific trade barriers on banning the import of certain goods.
Accordingly, this is an important regulation that enterprises must understand them, especially enterprises operating in the field of import and export.
Foreign investors might be concerned about the types of goods prohibited from exporting into Vietnam, exceptions and related procedures. In this Article, Bizlawyer would like to advise potential investors on related procedures and legal problems to these concerns.
1. List of prohibited imports into Vietnam
According to Article 5, Decree 69/2018/NĐ-CP: “1. Prohibited exports and imports are regulated in legislative documents in force and the list of prohibited exports and imports in Appendix I thereto”.
| No. | Goods description | Ministry in charge |
| 1 | Weapons, ammunitions, explosives (excluding industrial explosives), military technical equipment. | Ministry of National Defense |
| 2 | Assorted fireworks (excluding signal fires used for navigational safety under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport), sky lanterns, assorted devices causing interference to vehicle speedometers. | Ministry of Public Security |
| 3 | a) Schedule-1 toxic chemicals defined in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction and Annex to the Government’s Decree No. 38/2014/ND-CP dated May 6, 2014 on the management of chemicals under control in the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. b) Chemicals under the list of banned chemicals prescribed in Appendix III to the Government’s Decree No. 113/2017/ND-CP dated October 9, 2017 on guidelines for certain articles of the Law on Chemicals. | Ministry of Industry and Trade |
| 4 | Used consumer goods, medical equipment, and vehicles including the following commodity groups: a) Textiles and garments, footwear, clothes; b) Electronic appliances. c) Refrigerating appliances. d) Home electric appliances. dd) Medical equipment. e) Interior decoration goods. g) Home appliances made of pottery, ceramic, glass, metal, plastic, rubber, and other materials. h/ Bicycles. i) Motorcycles and mopeds. | Ministry of Industry and Trade |
| 5 | Assorted cultural products banned from dissemination and circulation or decided to be suspended from dissemination and circulation, or subject to revocation, confiscation and destruction in Vietnam. | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| 6 | Goods being used information technology products. | Ministry of Information and Communications |
| 7 | a) Assorted publications banned from dissemination and circulation in Vietnam. b) Postage stamps banned from trading, exchange, display and dissemination in accordance with the Law on Post. c) Radio equipment and radio-wave appliances which do not comply with radio frequency master plans and relevant technical regulations in accordance with the Law on Radio Frequencies. | Ministry of Information and Communications |
| 8 | a/ Right-hand drive means of transport (including those in knocked-down forms and those with converted drive before being imported in Vietnam), excluding special-use right-hand drive vehicles operating within a restricted location and not joining traffic, including: crane trucks; canal diggers, street sweepers, street washers; garbage trucks; road builders; passenger cars in airports and lifting trucks in warehouses and ports; concrete-pumping vehicles; vehicles moving only within golf courses or parks. b/ Assorted automobiles, four-wheeled drives and their spare parts which have their frame or engine numbers erased, modified or tampered with. c) Trailers, semi-trailers which have their frame erased, modified or tampered. d) Assorted motorcycles, special-use motorbikes and motorbikes which have their frame or engine numbers erased, modified or tampered with. | Ministry of Transport |
| 9 | Used supplies and vehicles, including: a) Engines, frames, inner tubes, tires, spare parts and motors of cars, trailers, semi-trailers, four-wheeled drives. b) Chassis of cars and tractors, fitted with engines (including new chassis fitted with used engines and used chassis fitted with new engines), c) Assorted cars which have been transformed in structure compared with their original designs. d) Cars, trailers, semi-trailers (other than dedicated trailers and semi-trailers), used passenger four-wheeled motor vehicles over 5 years, from the manufacture year to the import year. dd) Ambulances. | Ministry of Transport |
| 10 | Chemicals in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development |
| 11 | Pesticides banned from use in Vietnam. | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development |
| 12 | a) Samples of precious, rare and endangered animals and plants under Appendix I of CITES derived from natural resources being exported for commercial purpose. B) Samples and processed products of species: white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), African elephants (Loxodonta africana). | Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development |
| 13 | Wastes and scraps, refrigerating equipment using C.F.C. | Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment |
| 14 | Products and materials containing asbestos of the amphibole group. | Ministry of Construction |
2. Exceptions
According to Article 5.3, Decree 69/2018/NĐ-CP, The Prime Minister shall consider allowing export of goods prohibited from export; allowing import of goods prohibited from import to serve the special purposes, warranty, analysis, testing, scientific research, medicine, pharmaceutical production and national defense and security.
The Prime Minister of Vietnam, with his power, accepts the importation of such goods for the purposes mentioned above.
3. Conclusion
Goods trading is attracted by many foreign companies, therefore, foreign investors should examine the list of prohibited imports into Vietnam to select suitable types of potential imports.
If Your Company has any questions or request for a detailed advice for the investment forms above, please contact with Bizlawyer through our email: Info@bizlawyer.vn or Hotline +8486.888.1900 for timely advice and support.
tình huống tham khảo khác
Sign up for advice