Restrictions and Prohibitions
All countries restrict or prohibit the import and export of certain articles based upon:
- Concerns for health, safety, and public morality (e.g., foodstuffs, agricultural products, live animals, biologic materials, pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, chemicals, hazardous products, and materials deemed indecent).
- Protection of the physical and economic security of the state (e.g., arms, armaments, dual-use technology, radio and television transmitters and receivers, radioactive materials, seditious materials, and currency).
- Economic protection or subsidization of domestic industry (e.g., non-tariff barriers to trade for imports and control of natural resources for exports).
- Enforcement of provisions of multi-lateral trade agreements (e.g., those designed to protect endangered and threatened species of animals and plants and those designed to protect copyright, patent, and trademark holders against infringement).
Restricted
- Textiles and garments under export quotas agreed with foreign countries as periodically announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade
- Goods whose export is controlled under international treaties which Vietnam has entered into or acceded to, as announced periodically by the Ministry of Industry and Trade
- Certain textiles and garments, subject to export quotas
- Rice, subject to export quota
Prohibited
- Weapons, ammunition, explosive materials and military technical equipment and facilities
- Antiques
- Narcotics
- Toxic chemicals
- Timber, planks from domestic natural forests; firewood, charcoal made from wood or firewood of domestic natural forest origin
- Various kinds of wild animals, and natural rare precious fauna and flora
- Various types of special encryption devices and encryption software used for protecting state secrets
Note: The above information is subject to change. Exporters are advised to obtain the most current information from a customs broker, freight forwarder, or the local customs authorities.
Article written for World Trade Press by Taylor Holloran, Jennifer Goheen, and Nina Bellucci.
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