Circular No. 56/2015/TT-BCT stipulates the importation under tariff quotas with a 0% import tariff rate for goods originating from the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on import under tariff quotas with a customs duty rate of 0% for goods originating from the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Implementing the Bilateral Trade Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic signed on March 3, 2015;

The Minister of Industry and Trade issues this Circular to regulate the import under tariff quotas with a customs duty rate of 0% for goods originating from the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

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Pursuant to Decree No. 95/2012/NĐ-CP dated November 12, 2012, of the Government, detailing the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

Article 1. List of goods and annual tariff quota volume

At the proposal of the Director of the Import-Export Department,

1. Apply annual tariff quotas for two categories of goods originating from the Lao People's Democratic Republic, namely: rice and tobacco leaves with a customs duty rate of 0% (zero percent).

2. The commodity codes and total annual tariff quota volumes of the categories of goods benefiting from a preferential customs duty rate of 0% are set out in the Appendix attached to this Circular.

Article 2. Provisions for import within the 0% tariff quota

1. Goods imported must have a Certificate of Origin in Form S issued by the competent authority of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in accordance with the regulations.

2. Import procedures for goods shall be handled at the customs office where the import procedures are carried out according to the principle of automatic retroactive reduction (the total quantity of goods imported at a customs duty rate of 0% is reduced by the quantity already imported for each item).

3. Vietnamese traders may import rice under the tariff quota.

4. For tobacco leaves, only Vietnamese traders who have import licenses for tobacco raw materials under the tariff quota issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in accordance with Circular No. 04/2014/TT-BCT dated January 27, 2014 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade detailing certain provisions of Decree No. 187/2013/NĐ-CP dated November 20, 2013 of the Government detailing the implementation of the Law on Trade regarding international trade activities and agency buying, selling, processing, and transiting goods with foreign countries are permitted to import (direct import or entrusted import). The import quantity is deducted from the tariff quota import volume specified in the license issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

This Circular takes effect from January 1, 2016.

- Ministry of Industry and Trade: Department Heads, General Departments, Bureaus, and Divisions under the Ministry; Website;

Article 3. Effectiveness

Vu Huy Hoang

ANNEX

1. Rice import quota is 70,000 tons including:
- Thai Hom Mali Rice

2. Tobacco leaf import quota is 3,000 tons, including:

- Other types, heated by hot air