Circular No. 102/2001/TT-BNN on guiding the implementation of Decision No. 178/1999/QD-TTg dated August 30, 1999 of the Government Chairman regarding labeling regulations for goods circulating domestically and exported/imported goods, including forest products, processed forest products, grains, and packaged agricultural products.

CIRCULAR

Regarding the guidance on implementing Decision No. 178/1999/QĐ-TTg dated August 30, 1999 of the Government Chairman on labeling regulations for goods circulating domestically and exported/imported goods concerning forest products, processed forest products, grains, and various agricultural products in packaging.

To implement Decision No. 178/1999/QĐ-TTg dated August 30, 1999 on labeling regulations for goods circulating domestically and exported/imported goods concerning specific agricultural and rural development sectors, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Circular No. 75/2000/TT-BNN-KHCN dated July 17, 2000 to provide guidance.

In accordance with the directive of the Government Chairman in Official Letter No. 304/CP-KTQĐ dated April 18, 2001 regarding the issuance of guiding documents to implement the labeling regulations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development provides guidance on labeling for forest products, processed forest products, grains, and various agricultural products in packaging.

This technical regulation sets out technical requirements, testing methods, sampling procedures; management requirements; responsibilities of organizations and individuals producing, trading, and importing cigarettes.

Article 1. Scope of Application:

Forest products, processed forest products, grains, and various agricultural products in packaging produced in Vietnam for domestic consumption and export, as well as imported goods for consumption in the Vietnamese market (excluding temporarily imported goods for re-export or goods processed for foreign countries) must have product labels and comply with the labeling requirements stipulated in Decision No. 178/1999/QĐ-TTg dated August 30, 1999 of the Government Chairman on labeling regulations for goods circulating domestically and exported/imported goods and Circular No. 34/1999/TT-BTM dated December 15, 1999 of the Ministry of Trade guiding the implementation of Decision No. 178/1999/QĐ-TTg and this Circular.

2. Goods specified in this Circular include:

a. Forest products and processed forest products:

- Processed forest products used as raw materials such as various types of composite panels (particleboard, fiberboard, plywood, laminated veneer lumber, etc.) for domestic circulation and export, import;

- Various types of sawn timber (in box or plank form), thin boards, peeled wood, stripped wood, etc., for export, import;

- Finished or component products made from wood and non-wood forest products (bamboo, rattan, willow, etc.), such as household furniture, construction wood, interior and exterior wood products, specialized products (sports, medical, educational, toys, etc.), handicrafts;

- Non-wood forest products in fresh, dried, processed, and unprocessed forms but packaged: stems, branches, leaves, roots, bulbs, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark, tree oils, resins, essential oils.

b. Goods consisting of grains and various agricultural products including: rice, corn, wheat, millet, barley, various types of beans, sesame, etc., which have not been processed and are packaged and not intended for seed purposes.

3. Labeling method:

a. For goods with packaging, labeling is done by directly printing on the packaging or through a label that is then securely attached, pinned, or sewn onto the packaging;

b. For unpackaged goods, labeling is done by directly attaching to the product, accompanying the goods, or printed on a separate sheet to be provided to the customer.

II. CONTENT OF LABELING

1. Forest products and processed forest products:

a. Product name:

- Shall be recorded according to common names;

- The product name may be combined with shape, function, size, material, origin, brand (if applicable). Example: rosewood, pine wood, student desk 1.2m; bamboo basket, pine resin, rosewood cabinet, pine cabinet, Thanh Hoa rosewood cabinet...

b. Name and address of the organization or individual responsible for the product, hereinafter referred to as the trader:

- In cases where the trader is directly harvesting and selling forest products to the market, trading forest products, unprocessed forest products, or processing and trading processed forest products including preliminary processing and final products for consumption, the trader shall record their own name and address;

- If the forest products or processed forest products are imported or sold by a foreign trader's agent, the name of the importing trader or the agent selling on behalf of the foreign trader shall be recorded.

c. Quantity of goods:

- For processed forest products used as raw materials, the dimensions length x width x thickness shall be recorded in meters, centimeters, or millimeters; if the goods are packed in lots or units, the quantity per lot or unit shall also be recorded;³ or in lots or consignments;² according to lots or shipments;

- For finished or component products made from wood or non-wood forest products, the quantity is recorded as pieces or sets depending on the type of goods. For finished products, the dimensions length x width x height shall be recorded; for components, the dimensions length x width x thickness shall be recorded;

- Non-wood forest products (stems, branches, leaves, bulbs, roots, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark, oil, resin, etc.) shall be recorded according to the guidelines in Circular No. 34/1999/TT-BTM dated December 15, 1999 of the Ministry of Trade.

d. Main quality indicators:

- For sawn timber, if it is from the same species, the species name shall be recorded; if from multiple species, it shall be recorded by wood group;

- For processed non-wood forest products, composite panels, household furniture, construction wood, products made from bamboo, rattan, willow, etc., quality indicators shall be recorded as Class I, II, III, IV or A, B, C, D if applicable. For household furniture made from wood, in addition to recording the class (I, II, III, IV or A, B, C, D), the name of the wood used shall also be recorded.

e. Production date, shelf life, storage conditions:

- For composite panels, household furniture, construction wood, products made from bamboo, rattan, willow, etc., the production month and year shall be recorded (except for non-wood forest products);

- For non-wood forest products in fresh, dried, preliminarily processed, and processed forms, the clear date of harvest or production shall be recorded. For goods with a shelf life, the shelf life shall be recorded. For goods requiring storage, the storage conditions shall be clearly stated.

f. Origin of goods:

- If forest products and processed forest products are imported, the exporting country shall be recorded, for example: Cambodian rubber wood;

- For non-wood forest products, only the provincial or municipal address where they were harvested shall be recorded. For example: cinnamon from Yên Bái.

For timber products and processed goods made from timber intended for export or import for consumption in the Vietnamese market, the place of origin must be indicated. In cases where foreign customers request that Vietnamese exported goods not indicate their place of origin, this requirement may be waived until December 31, 2002.

2. For packaged grains and agricultural seeds:

a) Product name:

- Clearly state the type of grain or agricultural seed combined with color and place of origin (if applicable). Example: CR 203 Rice, Sán Ưu 63 Rice, LVN10 Hybrid Corn, Sen Peanuts.

- For special grains or agricultural seeds that are specialties, the product name can be followed immediately by the name of the producing locality, separated by a hyphen. Example: Haiphong Fragrant Rice - Haiphong, Sen Peanuts - Nghe An;

- For special or unique types of grains, the special or unique product name should precede the variety code, separated by a hyphen. Example: HQ2000 High-Protein Corn, P6 High-Protein Rice.

b) Name and address of the responsible trader:

- If the trader produces the grains or agricultural seeds and sells them directly or provides services, they must indicate their own name and address;

- If the grains are imported goods or if the trader acts as an agent for a foreign trader, the name of the responsible trader is the name of the importing trader or the name of the agency selling on behalf of the foreign trader.

c) Quantity of goods:

The quantity of packaged grains and agricultural seeds must be stated as net weight, measured in kilograms (kg) or grams (g).

d) Quality standards:

- For packaged grains and agricultural seeds, quality standards must be based on quality grades I, II, III (if applicable), along with primary quality indicators. Example: Grade I Corn;

- For genetically modified grains and agricultural seeds, the phrase "genetically modified product" must be clearly marked to inform consumers.

e) Production date, shelf life, storage conditions:

- Production date: The packaging must clearly state the month and year of harvest. Example: Produced 10/2001;

- Shelf life: Clearly state the expiration date in day, month, and year format;

- Storage conditions: Indicate the storage conditions.

f) Purpose of use:

- The packaging must clearly state the purpose of use as commercial seeds, not for planting purposes.

g) Place of origin of goods:

For goods intended for export or import for consumption in the Vietnamese market, the place of origin must be indicated. In cases where foreign customers request that Vietnamese exported goods not indicate their place of origin, this requirement may be waived until December 31, 2002.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

Producers of timber products and processed goods made from timber, packaged grains, and agricultural seeds currently using permitted labels in circulation in Vietnam must review their labeling practices according to Decision No. 178/1999/QĐ-TTg dated August 30, 1999, Directive No. 28/2000/CT-TTg dated December 27, 2000, Circular No. 34/1999/TT-BTM dated December 15, 1999, and this Circular.

Importers of timber products and processed goods made from timber, packaged grains, and agricultural seeds from abroad need to notify suppliers about the mandatory information to be included on the labels of imported goods to ensure consistent implementation measures.

This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2002.

Any previous regulations regarding labeling of timber products, processed goods made from timber, packaged grains, and agricultural seeds that conflict with this Circular are hereby abolished.

During implementation, any difficulties encountered should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for appropriate amendments and supplements.