Joint Circular No. 58/2015/TTLT-BCT-BKHCN stipulates the management of domestic steel production quality and imported steel quality.

JOINT CIRCULAR

PROVISIONS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY OF DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED STEEL AND IMPORTED STEEL

Pursuant to the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to the Law on Product Quality and Commodities dated November 21, 2007;

Pursuant to Decree No. 127/2007/NĐ-CP dated August 1, 2007 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain Articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations;

Pursuant to Decree No. 132/2008/NĐ-CP dated December 31, 2008 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Law on Product Quality;

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;

Pursuant to Decree No. 20/2013/NĐ-CP dated February 26, 2013 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

The Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Science and Technology issue this Joint Circular to regulate the management of quality for domestically produced steel and imported steel.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 1. Scope of Regulation:

a) This Joint Circular regulates the quality management of domestic steel products and imported steel products (classified according to HS codes) specified in Appendix II and Appendix III attached hereto.

b) The following steel products are not within the scope of regulation of this Joint Circular:

- Steel products produced for export, imported under export processing contracts, temporary import for re-export, transit, transshipment, production contracts for export goods; steel products imported by export processing enterprises, enterprises operating in export processing zones as raw materials for export production;

- Steel products already specifically regulated by other legal documents;

- Steel products serving security and defense purposes;

- Domestically produced steel and imported steel used in national key projects and works approved by the Prime Minister;

- Domestically produced steel and imported steel used for domestic manufacturing as specified in Appendix I attached hereto.

第二条 组织和实施奖励工作的支出水平，如政府第152/2025/NĐ-CP号决定关于分级授权和奖励领域的分权规定

a) Organizations and individuals producing, importing, and using steel;

b) State management agencies responsible for steel quality;

c) Accredited conformity assessment organizations;

d) Other relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

1. Published standards are a set of mandatory technical parameters as stipulated in this Joint Circular and other necessary contents about steel products self-declared by organizations and individuals producing and importing steel (based on national standards, regional standards, foreign standards, international standards, and enterprise standards).

2. Lot of goods is a collection of steel products determined in quantity, with the same name, grade, brand, type, technical characteristics, from the same production facility, either domestically produced or imported.

3. Other terms used in this Joint Circular are defined in the Law on Product Quality; the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations.

Chapter II

PROVISIONS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF STEEL QUALITY

Article 3. Publication of applicable standards and application of non-destructive testing methods

1. Steel products must be published with applicable standards before circulation.

2. For steel types classified according to HS codes specified in Appendix II attached hereto:

a) In cases where organizations and individuals producing and importing use enterprise standards to publish applicable standards, the enterprise standards must have technical requirements that are not lower than those stipulated in the corresponding Vietnamese national standards (TCVN).

b) In cases where there are no Vietnamese national standards (TCVN), the enterprise standards must have technical requirements that are not lower than those stipulated in the corresponding national standards of the exporting country or international standards.

c) In cases where there are no Vietnamese national standards, national standards of the exporting country, or international standards, the enterprise standards must meet the requirements stipulated in Clause 4 of this Article.

3. For steel types classified according to HS codes specified in Appendix III attached hereto:

Organizations and individuals producing and importing must use Vietnamese national standards (TCVN) or corresponding national standards of the exporting country to publish applicable standards.

4. Published standards must include the following basic product steel indicators:

a) Dimensional, appearance, and mechanical properties:

- Geometric dimensions: diameter/thickness, width; length;

- Appearance: surface, edge;

- Mechanical properties:

+ Yield strength; tensile strength; elongation;

+ Yield strength; tensile strength; elongation; bending strength; or

+ Yield strength; tensile strength; hardness; bending strength.

- For coated/ plated/ galvanized products: additional publication of coating/ plating/ galvanizing layer thickness and adhesion.

b) Chemical composition:

- All steel products must declare the content of five chemical elements C, Si, Mn, P, S;

- For stainless steel products, additional declaration of the content of two chemical elements Cr, Ni is required;

- For alloy steel products, at least one alloy element content (according to the type of alloy steel registered by organizations and individuals) must be additionally declared.

5. The following steel products are permitted to apply non-destructive testing methods in quality evaluation:

a) Steel products with a thickness of 10 mm or more; solid steel bars with a diameter of 50 mm or more;

b) Angle steel, section steel, corrugated steel;

c) Closed profile steel products with a width over 150 mm and a thickness of no less than 4 mm, not in coil form and without raised patterns.

Article 4. Management of quality of domestically produced steel

1. Domestic organizations and individuals producing steel shall be responsible for announcing standards applicable to their steel products. The announcement of standards shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of this Joint Circular.

2. Product labeling shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 89/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 30, 2006 of the Government on product labeling;

Decision No. 09/2007/TT-BKHCN dated April 6, 2007 of the Ministry of Science and Technology guiding the implementation of certain Articles of Decree No. 89/2006/NĐ-CP and Decision No. 14/2007/TT-BKHCN dated July 25, 2007 of the Minister of Science and Technology supplementing Decision No. 09/2007/TT-BKHCN.

Article 5. Management of quality of imported steel

1. Organizations and individuals importing steel products shall be responsible for announcing standards applicable to imported steel products. The announcement of standards shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of this Joint Circular.

2. Imported steel products must be assessed for conformity with announced standards by designated conformity assessment bodies.

3. Product labeling shall be implemented in accordance with Clause 2 of Article 4 of this Joint Circular.

4. The documentation for announcing applicable standards for imported steel includes:

a) A copy of the quality standard of the imported steel product used for the announcement;

b) A certificate of conformity to standards issued by a designated certification body or a conformity inspection report issued by a designated inspection body for the imported steel product.

5. For types of steel classified according to the HS code specified in Section 2 of Appendix III attached to this Joint Circular, organizations and individuals importing such steel must supplement:

a) A confirmation letter of the need to import steel from the Department of Industry and Trade where the organization or individual registers its activities confirming the need to directly serve production, mechanical processing, manufacturing, and a commitment not to use imported steel to produce steel products conforming to the National Technical Regulation on Steel Reinforcement (QCVN 07:2011/BKHCN). The confirmation letter of the Department of Industry and Trade is valid for six months from the date of issuance.

b) An import declaration of steel confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry). The import declaration of steel is valid for one month from the date of confirmation by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry).

In case of violation of the commitments and declarations, organizations and individuals will bear responsibility under the regulations of the Customs Law and Tax Law. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) will suspend the confirmation of declarations for organizations and individuals who violate until the violations are rectified.

Article 6. Procedures and formalities for confirming the need to import steel

1. Organizations and individuals submit directly or through postal service one set of application documents for confirming the need to import steel to directly serve production, mechanical processing, manufacturing, and a commitment not to use imported steel to produce steel products conforming to the National Technical Regulation on Steel Reinforcement at the Department of Industry and Trade where they register their activities. The documents include:

a) A request for confirmation of the need to import steel to directly serve production, mechanical processing, manufacturing, and a commitment not to use imported steel to produce steel products conforming to the National Technical Regulation on Steel Reinforcement with quantities of imports consistent with the production capacity of the production and processing lines within a specific period as declared;

b) A certified copy of the Business Registration Certificate or Enterprise Registration Certificate or Investment Certificate of the organization or individual;

c) A description of the material basis (factory area, warehouse, production line), production capacity of the organization or individual, product types, and the need for steel raw materials (tons/year) signed and stamped by the representative of the organization or individual.

2. If the documents are complete and valid, within five working days, the Department of Industry and Trade will review the documents and issue a confirmation document. If the documents are incomplete or invalid, the Department of Industry and Trade will notify the organization or individual in writing to complete the documents.

Within five working days from the date the documents are supplemented and completed in accordance with the regulations, the Department of Industry and Trade will issue a confirmation document and send it to the organization or individual via postal service on the date of issuance.

Article 7. Procedure for confirming the declaration of steel imports

1. Organizations and individuals submit three copies of the Steel Import Declaration Form (in accordance with the model attached as Appendix IV to this Circular) to the Ministry of Industry and Trade at 54 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, or send it via postal service.

2. Within five working days, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) will examine and directly confirm on the Steel Import Declaration Form. In case the declaration form does not meet requirements, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) will notify organizations and individuals in writing to make corrections. Within five working days from the date of receiving the corrected declaration form, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) will confirm and return it to the organization or individual via postal service on the confirmation date.

Article 8. Designation of conformity assessment organizations

1. Testing, inspection, and certification of the quality of domestically produced steel and imported steel as specified in Appendices II and III issued together with this Circular shall be carried out by testing organizations, inspection organizations, and certification organizations designated to perform such tasks.

2. The Ministry of Industry and Trade designates testing organizations for steel quality, specifically:

a) For domestic testing organizations: The procedures and formalities for designation shall be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BKHCN dated April 8, 2009, guiding the requirements, procedures, and formalities for designating conformity assessment organizations, and Circular No. 11/2011/TT-BKHCN dated June 30, 2011, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BKHCN, both issued by the Minister of Science and Technology.

b) For foreign testing organizations: Actual testing capability of foreign testing organizations shall be evaluated according to the procedures and formalities stipulated in Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BKHCN dated November 15, 2013, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology (Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BKHCN) or recognition of testing results of foreign testing organizations based on Agreements or Mutual Recognition Arrangements regarding conformity assessment results.

3. The Ministry of Science and Technology designates inspection and certification organizations for steel quality. Requirements, procedures, and formalities for designating inspection and certification organizations shall be implemented in accordance with Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BKHCN dated April 8, 2009, and Circular No. 11/2011/TT-BKHCN dated June 30, 2011, both issued by the Minister of Science and Technology, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 09/2009/TT-BKHCN.

4. Requirements for designated testing organizations

a) For domestic testing organizations:

- Have registered their testing activity fields in accordance with Circular No. 08/2009/TT-BKHCN dated April 8, 2009, guiding the requirements, procedures, and formalities for registering conformity assessment activity fields, and Circular No. 10/2011/TT-BKHCN dated June 30, 2011, amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 08/2009/TT-BKHCN, both issued by the Minister of Science and Technology;

- Establish, apply, and maintain the effectiveness of a quality management system for the laboratory in accordance with National Standard TCVN ISO/IEC 17025:2007 or International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005;

b) For foreign testing organizations: Meet the requirements stipulated in Article 6 of Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BKHCN.

5. The Ministry of Industry and Trade recognizes the test reports (mill test reports) of testing organizations in exporting countries for electromagnetic and magnetic permeability indicators of imported technical electrical thin steel under the following conditions:

a) Testing organizations in exporting countries must have recognized competence in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards, certified and accredited by accreditation organizations that are members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC).

b) Organizations and individuals importing must submit a copy of the valid accreditation certificate along with the scope of accreditation (stamped with the seal of the importing organization or individual) for the Ministry of Industry and Trade to review and decide.

Chapter III

STEEL QUALITY INSPECTION

Article 9. Procedures, formalities, and contents for quality inspection of domestically produced steel

The quality inspection of domestically produced steel products shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Product Quality Law and the contents stipulated in Article 4 of this Joint Circular.

Article 10. Procedures, formalities, and contents for quality inspection of imported steel

The quality inspection of imported steel products shall be conducted as follows:

- Step 1: Assessment of the conformity of steel quality by the conformity assessment organization designated to perform such tasks.

- Step 2: State inspection of the quality of imported steel.

1. Assessment of the conformity of steel quality by the conformity assessment organization designated to perform such tasks:

a) In the case where organizations or individuals importing choose the batch-by-batch conformity assessment method:

The conformity assessment of the batch shall be carried out according to Method 7 (Testing and assessing batches of products and goods) prescribed in Circular No. 28/2012/TT-BKHCN dated December 12, 2012, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on the announcement of compliance with standards and technical regulations and methods of conformity assessment, and shall be performed by the certification organization or inspection body designated to carry out such tasks. The costs for the conformity assessment activities of the imported batch shall be implemented in accordance with Clause 15, Article 12 of the Product Quality Law.

b) In the case where organizations or individuals importing choose the conformity assessment method at the exporting country:

The conformity assessment of steel products shall be carried out according to Method 5 (Typical sample testing and production process evaluation; monitoring through sampling and testing at the place of production or on the market combined with production process evaluation) prescribed in Circular No. 28/2012/TT-BKHCN dated December 12, 2012, issued by the Minister of Science and Technology on the announcement of compliance with standards and technical regulations and methods of conformity assessment, and shall be performed by the certification organization designated to carry out such tasks, specifically:

- Receiving and examining the dossier, drafting plans and programs for assessment, and organizing the implementation of the assessment based on the contract signed with the registering organization or individual, and reporting to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology. After receiving the report from the certification organization, if necessary, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology will dispatch supervisors to oversee the certification assessment activities in the exporting country. The costs for these supervisors shall be borne by the certification organization, as specified in Circular No. 102/2012/TT-BTC dated June 21, 2012, issued by the Minister of Finance on the travel expenses for state officials going abroad for short-term missions funded by the state budget.

- Conducting quality management system assessment, taking typical samples at the place of production as prescribed, sending typical samples for testing, and evaluating the conformity of the test samples. If the results of the quality management system assessment and the typical sample testing meet the requirements, the certification organization shall issue a Certificate of Conformity valid for three years to the organization or individual.

- At the end of the assessment process, the certification organization shall be responsible for retaining the assessment dossier and reporting the results to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

- During the validity period of the issued Certificate of Conformity, the certification organization must conduct supervisory assessments through sampling and testing at the place of production or on the market (at the import port) combined with production process evaluation at the place of production with a frequency not exceeding once every twelve months. The results of the supervisory assessment serve as the basis for the certification organization to maintain, suspend, or revoke the validity of the issued Certificate of Conformity.

2. Procedures and formalities for state inspection of the quality of imported steel.

a) Organizations or individuals submit one set of documents for state inspection of the quality of imported steel to the state inspection agency where they handle customs procedures, including:

- Application for state inspection of the quality of imported steel according to the model prescribed in Appendix V of this Joint Circular;

- A copy (stamped by the organization or individual) of the Contract,Contract,, Packing List,Packing List,; Invoice,Invoice,; Bill of Lading,Bill of Lading,; Certificate of Origin,C/O);

- A copy (stamped by the organization or individual) of the Certificate of Compliance with Standards of imported steel issued by the designated certification organization or the Certificate of Compliance with Standards of imported steel issued by the designated inspection body;

- For types of steel classified according to the HS code prescribed in Section 2 of Appendix III attached to this Joint Circular, the documents must include a Declaration of Imported Steel confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and a copy of the Steel Import Requirement Confirmation issued by the Department of Industry and Trade.

b) In cases where the documents are complete and valid, within three working days from the date of receipt of the documents, the inspection agency shall issue a Notification of Inspection Results for Imported Goods Meeting Quality Requirements according to the model prescribed in Appendix VII attached to this Joint Circular.

c) In cases where the documents are incomplete, the inspection agency shall confirm the missing items in the Receipt Form according to the model prescribed in Appendix VI attached to this Joint Circular and request the importing organization or individual to supplement and complete the documents within twenty-five working days. If the documents are still not completed beyond the stated period, the importing organization or individual must send a written notice to the inspection agency detailing the reasons and completion time.

In cases where the importing organization or individual does not complete the documents within the prescribed period, within three working days from the expiration of the supplementary document period, the inspection agency shall issue a Notification of Inspection Results for Imported Steel Quality according to the model prescribed in Appendix VII attached to this Joint Circular, clearly stating "the batch has not completed all required documents" and send it to the importing organization or individual and the customs authority.

d) In case imported steel has documents that do not match the import declaration or do not meet the published standards, within three working days, the inspection agency shall issue a notification of the results of the import goods inspection, which does not meet quality requirements according to the model prescribed in Appendix VII issued together with this Circular, specifying the reasons and sending it to the importing organization or individual and the customs authority.

3. The customs authority shall base on the notification of the results of the import goods inspection to process clearance procedures for organizations and individuals or handle according to the provisions of the Customs Law.

For types of steel classified under the HS code specified in Section 2 of Appendix III issued together with this Circular, an additional Steel Import Declaration Form must be supplemented, confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) and a copy of the Steel Import Requirement Confirmation Certificate from the Department of Industry and Trade.

Article 11. Provisions on the application of reduced inspection forms for imported steel

1. The application of reduced inspection forms shall be carried out by certification organizations and inspection organizations designated after receiving the Notification of Approval to Apply Reduced Inspection Forms from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Depending on the reduced inspection regime, there are two forms of reduced inspection as follows:

a) Form 1: Sampling reduction (reducing the number of samples taken per import shipment) to conduct testing and assess compliance with published standards. This form of reduced inspection is applied to steel products with the same published standard, same grade, produced by the same manufacturer, imported consecutively three times, assessed for compliance at the same conformity assessment body, meeting quality requirements. The period of reduced inspection is one year from the fourth importation (04).

b) Form 2: Comparing the import declaration with the actual import shipment, conducting supervision through sample testing (samples taken at the port of entry), assessing compliance of the test sample according to published standards. This form of reduced inspection is applied in the following cases:

- For steel products with the same published standard, same grade, produced by the same manufacturer, imported consecutively ten times, assessed for compliance at the same designated certification body, meeting quality requirements. The period of reduced inspection is two years from the eleventh importation (11).

- Shipment of imported steel products that have been tested by an overseas testing organization (not operating in Vietnam) recognized or designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade according to current regulations and have test results meeting the requirements stipulated in this Joint Circular.

2. Procedures and formalities for reduced inspections of imported steel:

a) Organizations and individuals importing steel that meet the requirements stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article shall prepare one set of documents requesting reduced inspection of imported steel quality and send it to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for consideration and handling. The dossier includes:

- A request for reduced inspection quality testing according to the model in Appendix VIII issued together with this Joint Circular;

- Business registration certificate (for first-time registrants): one copy (stamped with a true copy stamp of the organization or individual);

- Confirmation of consecutive inspection times (corresponding to each type of reduced inspection application) at the designated certification or inspection organization according to the model in Appendix IX issued together with this Joint Circular.

b) Within three working days from the date of receipt of complete and valid documents, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will consider and respond to the application for reduced inspection forms for imported steel. The Notification of Approval to Apply Reduced Inspection Forms according to the model in Appendix X issued together with this Joint Circular will be issued.

c) Based on the Notification of Approval to Apply Reduced Inspection Forms from the management agency, organizations and individuals importing steel, designated certification and inspection organizations shall carry out reduced inspections according to the provisions of this Clause.

3. Provisions on reduced inspections

a) For Form 1 as stipulated in Point a Clause 1 of this Article:

- Based on the Notification of Approval to Apply Reduced Inspection Forms (hereinafter referred to as the Notification) from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the importing organization or individual and the designated certification and inspection organizations named in the Notification shall proceed with reduced inspections for imported steel shipments. The cost of implementing the conformity assessment activity of imported steel shipments according to the reduced inspection form shall be borne by the importing organization or individual according to Clause 15 of Article 12; Clause 2 of Article 19 of the Product Quality Law.

Sampling for reduced inspections shall be conducted according to Section 3.1.22 of National Standard TCVN 7790-1:2007 Sampling Procedure for Qualitative Testing - Part 1: Sampling Program Determined According to Acceptable Quality Limit (AQ) for Each Lot Inspection.

- During the reduced inspection period, if the shipment does not meet quality requirements, the certification and inspection organizations must conduct a conformity assessment of the imported steel shipment according to the procedures and formalities stipulated in Article 10 of this Joint Circular, and simultaneously report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for consideration and handling to revoke the effectiveness of the reduced inspection form.

- The reduced inspection form shall not be applied to shipments imported during the validity period of the reduced inspection form when there is a sudden increase in volume or quantity (1.5 times the average of three consecutive import shipments when registering the application for the reduced inspection form).

b) For Form 2 as stipulated in Point b Clause 1 of this Article:

- Based on the Notification of Approval to Apply Reduced Inspection Forms (hereinafter referred to as the Notification) from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the importing organization or individual and the designated certification and inspection organizations named in the Notification shall proceed with document inspection for imported steel shipments.

- During the validity period of the Notification, organizations certified and designated inspection organizations listed in the Notification must conduct supervisory assessments at a frequency not exceeding once every six months. The costs for conducting supervisory assessments shall be borne by the organizations or individuals importing steel in accordance with Clause 15, Article 12; Clause 2, Article 19 of the Law on Product Quality.

- In the course of implementation, if there is a discrepancy between the results of the file review and the actual imported steel lot, the designated certification organization and inspection organization must conduct an assessment of the conformity of the imported steel lot according to the procedures and formalities stipulated in Article 10 of this Joint Circular, while simultaneously submitting a report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for consideration and handling to revoke the validity of reduced inspection forms.

- During the process of conducting supervisory assessments, if the quality assessment result of the imported steel lot does not meet the published standards, the designated certification organization and inspection organization must conduct an assessment of the conformity of the imported steel lot according to the procedures and formalities stipulated in Article 10 of this Joint Circular, while simultaneously submitting a report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for consideration and handling to revoke the validity of reduced inspection forms.

- Reduced inspection forms shall not be applied to lots of goods imported within the validity period when there is a sudden increase in volume or quantity (more than 1.5 times the average of ten consecutive imported lots when registering the file for reduced inspection).

4. Inspection and quality control activities of imported steel for organizations and individuals importing steel that have been subject to conformity assessment methods through reduced inspection forms:

Based on market feedback, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will issue a document requesting the designated certification and inspection organizations to cooperate in implementing state inspections on the quality of steel products from organizations and individuals importing corresponding items. Sampling and testing costs shall be carried out in accordance with Point d, Clause 2, Article 9 of Circular No. 27/2012/TT-BKHCN dated December 12, 2012 issued by the Minister of Science and Technology.

5. Reduced inspection forms shall not be applied to imported steel products with HS codes specified in the List attached as Appendix III to this Joint Circular.

To meet management requirements, the Lists of steel products specified in Appendices I, II, and III attached to this Joint Circular will be amended and supplemented to be consistent with current realities.

Article 12. Handling of Non-Conforming Lots

1. For domestically produced steel products, handling shall be conducted in accordance with Article 30 of the Law on Product Quality and the provisions of Decree No. 80/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 19, 2013 of the Government on administrative penalties in the field of standards, measurement, and product quality.

2. For imported products, handling shall be conducted in accordance with Article 36 of the Law on Product Quality and the provisions of Decree No. 80/2013/NĐ-CP dated July 19, 2013 of the Government on administrative penalties in the field of standards, measurement, and product quality.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 13. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Industry and Trade

1. Designate, inspect, and supervise the activities of organizations designated to test the quality of steel.

2. Receive and process registration files for reduced inspection from organizations and individuals importing steel, and publicly announce on the Ministry of Industry and Trade's electronic portal; inspect compliance with the contents of the confirmed Steel Import Declaration Form. In cases where violations are detected in the Steel Import Declaration Form, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will notify the customs authority and tax authority to handle according to the laws on customs and taxes.

3. Develop an annual plan to inspect the quality of domestically produced steel (including reinforcing steel) and imported steel.

4. Lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and relevant organizations and individuals to conduct inspections of the quality of domestically produced steel and imported steel.

5. When necessary, supervise the certification evaluation activities of certification organizations designated in the exporting country. Based on the results of supervision, decide to suspend, revoke, or maintain the validity of the certification designation decision.

6. Amend and supplement the List of steel products specified in Appendix I, Appendix II, and Appendix III of this Joint Circular to ensure management requirements.

7. Coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to inspect and supervise the activities of certification organizations and appraisal organizations designated by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Article 14. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Science and Technology

1. Designate, inspect, and supervise the activities of certification organizations and appraisal organizations designated to test the quality of steel.

2. When necessary, supervise the certification evaluation activities of certification organizations designated in the exporting country. Based on the results of supervision, decide to suspend, revoke, or maintain the validity of the certification designation decision.

3. Coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and relevant organizations and individuals to conduct inspections of the quality of domestically produced steel and imported steel.

4. Coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to inspect and supervise the activities of testing organizations designated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Article 15. Responsibilities of Customs Authorities

1. Only clear goods when organizations and individuals importing provide a Notification of Inspection Results for Imported Goods that meet the quality requirements as stipulated in this Joint Circular. For types of steel classified under the HS code specified in Section 2 of Appendix III issued together with this Joint Circular, they must also provide the Steel Import Declaration Form confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Department of Heavy Industry) and a copy of the Steel Import Need Confirmation Certificate issued by the Department of Industry and Trade.

2. Lead and coordinate with provincial Departments of Industry and Trade, Departments of Science and Technology to handle imported steel lots that do not meet the quality requirements as stipulated in the Law on Customs.

3. Supervise and compile statistics on the importation of steel specified in Appendix II and Appendix III issued together with this Joint Circular, and provide quarterly import data for state management purposes.

Article 16. Responsibilities of Provincial Departments of Industry and Trade

1. Coordinate with provincial Departments of Science and Technology to conduct inspections and quality checks of steel within their jurisdiction.

2. Coordinate with customs authorities, provincial Departments of Science and Technology within their jurisdiction to handle imported steel lots that do not meet the quality requirements as stipulated in the Law on Customs.

3. Confirm the need to import steel for types of steel classified under the HS code specified in Section 2 of Appendix III issued together with this Joint Circular.

Article 17. Responsibilities of Science and Technology Departments

1. Take the lead and coordinate with Industry and Trade Departments to organize inspections and quality checks on steel within their jurisdiction.

2. Coordinate with customs authorities and Industry and Trade Departments within their jurisdiction to handle imported steel shipments that do not meet quality requirements as stipulated by the Customs Law.

Article 18. Responsibilities of Quality Standards Measurement Control Branches

1. Receive and process registration files for state quality inspections of imported steel as prescribed in this Joint Circular.

2. Lead the implementation of quality checks on circulating steel within their jurisdiction.

3. Summarize and report periodically every quarter, six months (before July 15), annually (before January 15 of the following year) or at any time upon request, the results of quality inspection registrations for imported steel. Reports shall be sent to the Ministry of Science and Technology (National Standardization and Metrology Administration) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Science and Technology Department).

Article 19. Responsibilities of organizations and individuals producing and importing steel

1. Adhere to and implement the provisions of this Joint Circular.

2. Retain records of standard declarations applicable to steel.

3. Perform rights and obligations as prescribed by the Product and Goods Quality Law.

4. Undergo inspections and audits according to the law and comply with inspection and audit decisions made by competent state agencies.

Article 20. Responsibilities of designated conformity assessment organizations

1. Adhere to and implement the provisions of this Joint Circular.

2. Exercise rights and fulfill obligations as prescribed by the Product and Goods Quality Law and related laws.

For designated testing organizations, during the validity period of the designation decision, they must participate in proficiency testing or inter-laboratory comparison programs at least once for the field of steel testing.

3. Notify the issuing agency about any changes affecting the registered testing, certification, and inspection capabilities within fifteen days from the date of change.

4. Designated certification organizations, inspection organizations, and testing organizations are responsible for summarizing and reporting periodically every quarter, six months (before July 15); annually (before January 15 of the following year) or at any time upon request, the results of conformity assessments. Reports shall be sent to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Science and Technology Department) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (National Standardization and Metrology Administration).

5. Undergo inspections and audits according to the law and comply with inspection and audit decisions made by competent state agencies.

Chapter V

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 21. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from March 21, 2016, and replaces Joint Circular No. 44/2013/TTLT-BCT-BKHCN dated December 31, 2013, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology, which regulates the management of domestic steel production and imported steel quality.

2. Decisions designating certification organizations, inspection organizations, testing organizations, and decisions exempting imported steel quality inspections at the exporting country (at source) remain valid until the expiration date specified in the designation decision or exemption decision issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade or the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Article 22. Responsibility for enforcement

1. Organizations and individuals producing, importing, and using steel; quality control agencies; designated certification organizations, inspection organizations, and testing organizations; and other relevant organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Joint Circular.

2. In case the legal normative documents cited in this Joint Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, the new documents shall be implemented.

3. During implementation, if there are difficulties or obstacles, it is recommended that agencies, organizations, and individuals promptly reflect these issues to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Science and Technology for guidance on amendments and supplements./.