Circular No. 21/2012/TT-BTC on the issuance of the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule of Vietnam for the implementation of the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement for the period 2012-2015.

CIRCULAR

Regarding the issuance of the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule of Vietnam to implement the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement for the period 2012-2015

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Pursuant to the Law on Export Tax, Import Tax No. 45/2005/QH11 dated June 14, 2005;

Pursuant to Decree No. 87/2010/NĐ-CP dated August 13, 2010 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Law on Export Tax and Import Tax No. 45/2005/QH11 dated June 14, 2005;

Pursuant to Decree No. 118/2008/NĐ-CP dated November 27, 2008 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

To implement the Economic Partnership Agreement between Vietnam and Japan signed on December 25, 2008 in Japan and approved by the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam through Decision No. 57/2009/QĐ-TTg dated April 16, 2009;

The Ministry of Finance issues this Circular on the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule of Vietnam to implement the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement as follows:

Article 1: Attached to this Circular is the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule of Vietnam to implement the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement for the period 2012-2015 (the applicable tariff rate is abbreviated as VJEPA rate).

+ Column "Commodity Code" and Column "Description of Goods" are based on the Harmonized System 2012 and classified at the 8-digit level;

+ Column "VJEPA Rate": the applicable rates of duty for different periods include:

- April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013: the rate of duty applied from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013;

- April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014: the rate of duty applied from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014;

- April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015: the rate of duty applied from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015.

Article 2: Imported goods must meet the following conditions to be eligible for the VJEPA rate:

1) They must belong to the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule issued together with this Circular.

2) Imported from Japan to Vietnam;

3) Directly transported from Japan to Vietnam, in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

4) Comply with the provisions on the origin of goods under the Vietnam-Japan Agreement, having a Certificate of Origin for Vietnam-Japan Goods (abbreviated as Form JV) as prescribed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Article 3: Goods from free zones (including processed goods) imported into the domestic market to be eligible for the VJEPA rate must satisfy the conditions stipulated in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Circular and have a Certificate of Origin for Vietnam-Japan Goods (abbreviated as Form VJ) as prescribed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Article 4: This Circular takes effect from April 1, 2012 and replaces Circular No. 158/2009/TT-BTC dated August 6, 2009 of the Minister of Finance on the issuance of the Special Preferential Import Tariff Schedule of Vietnam to implement the Japan-Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement for the period 2009-2012./.