What are Prohibited Act in Customs in Vietnam?

According to Article 10, Customs Law in Vietnam, prohibited acts in customs in Vietnam are:

1. For customs officials:

-Causing troubles and difficulties when following customs formalities;

-Screening or colluding with others in smuggling or illegally transporting goods across the border, committing trade or tax fraud; 

Customs dispute lawyers in Vietnam

-Taking bribes, appropriating or embezzling temporarily seized goods or other acts for self-seeking purposes;

-Other violations against the law on customs.

2. For customs declarants, entities with rights and obligations related to import, export and transit of goods, or exit, entry and transit of vehicles:

-Committing fraudulent acts in carrying out customs formalities;

-Smuggling or illegally transporting goods across the border;

-Committing trade or tax fraud;

-Giving bribes or other acts for self-seeking purposes;

-Obstructing customs officials in performing their official duty;

-Hacking, falsifying or destroying the customs communication system;

-Other violations against the law on customs.

-Our customs lawyers always follow development of customs law in Vietnam to provide the client with update.

We are a law firm in Vietnam with international standard, local expertise and strong international network. We focus on customers’ needs and provide clients with a high quality legal advice and services. For advice or services request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn, or call us +84 24 730 86 529.

Read More

Trade and Customs in Vietnam

Navigating the modern environment of international business requires companies that engage in the exchange of goods and services across international borders to be ever vigilant in addressing customs and import controls laws, including those related to border and supply chain security. ANT Lawyers trade and customs practice works to ensure and optimize our clients’ cost- and time-efficient shipment of goods and services across borders, within the confines of the law. 

Trade and Customs in Vietnam

We represent clients who engage in such diverse fields as:

-Customs brokerage, express delivery, freight forwarding, logistics and sea and rail transportation

-Apparel, beverages, consumer electronics, cosmetics, food products, footwear, home furnishings, luxury goods and paper products.

Businesses often overlook the fundamental importance of accurate tariff classification and appraisement as sources of potential duty savings and necessary compliance for imported products. These are the “nuts and bolts” of any sophisticated customs and import controls practice, and our lawyers are well versed in this complex body of law to maximize duty savings and minimize customs penalties.

We are a law firm in Vietnam with international standard, local expertise and strong international network. We focus on customers’ needs and provide clients with a high quality legal advice and services. For advice or services request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn, or call us +84 24 730 86 529.

Read More

Vietnam Customs Law 2014

On 23rd June 2014, the Vietnam National Assembly has issued the new Vietnam Customs Law. This new law comprises of 8 Chapters, 104 Articles and shall come into effect on 1st January 2015.

Customs dispute law firm in Vietnam

Accordingly, the new 2014 Vietnam Customs Law is focusing on customs procedure reform, modernization of customs administration, codify international laws on international commitment in order to meet the requirements and facilitate integration beneficial for import and export activities; improve the effectiveness and efficiency of customs operations management.

Article 23 of the law regulates the custom documents towards reducing the numbers of papers of customs documents required in the relevant documents to be submitted when doing customs procedures i.e. commercial invoices, import-export document.  Custom documents can also be in writing or electronic invoices.

Besides, the new Vietnam Customs Law boosts the management practices from pre-check to post- check. Mechanism of post-clearance inspection for a period of 5 years is strictly specified in terms of objects, conditions and sanctions when a violation is detected. This provision not only facilitates but also tightly controls the flow of goods to ensure that it is in compliance with the customs declaration.

Clause 6 Article 88 of the 2014 Vietnam Customs Law regarding the jurisdiction of the customs authorities in the application of prevention of smuggling and illegally transporting goods across borders has been supplemented to detail the measures to control custom.

In addition, the provisions of Article 92 stipulates that Customs agency, customs officers shall be equipped with and using professional technical facilities, weapons, support tools, flags, signal flares, lights, screening, biochemical technology, mechanical equipment, electrical, electronic and other means as prescribed by law to perform the task of preventing and battling against smuggling, illegal transport of goods across the border. The equipment and the use of weapons and tools to support prescribed by law shall be governed in complied with regulations for management and use of weapons, explosives and support tools. These are important provisions to prevent and battling against smuggling, illegal transport of goods across the border.

We are a law firm in Vietnam with international standard, local expertise and strong international network. We focus on customers’ needs and provide clients with a high quality legal advice and services. For advice or services request, please contact us via email ant@antlawyers.vn, or call us +84 24 730 86 529.

Read More

How to Temporary Suspension Customs Clearance Procedures for Goods Subject to Intellectual Property Rights Protection?

The import and export of counterfeit goods or goods that violate intellectual property rights have been causing huge loss to the intellectual property rights owner.  The government’s process to control such will help utilize the resources in the society and encourage the innovative companies to invest in products in quality, designs, build trademarks… and ensure their intellectual property rights are protected and they could benefit from such. When the owner of property rights scans the market and find the violation of intellectual property rights, they could appoint intellectual property attorney to work with authorities and have proper legal solutions, including requesting the customs authority to suspend the customs clearance.

Customs dispute law firm in Vietnam

As part of the international integration process into world trade, Vietnam has gradually issued legal instruments to strengthen tools for managing the potential violations especially in intellectual property areas.

On March 6, 2020, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular no. 13/2020/TT-BTC on amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular no. 13/2015/TT-BTC dated January 30, 2015 providing for inspect, supervise and temporarily suspend customs procedures for exports and imports subject to intellectual property protection; controlling counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual propertyrights.

Under point b, clause 1, Article 1 of Circular no. 13/2020/NTT-BTC, customs control of counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights means the application of professional customs control measures or/and other professional measures implemented by customs authority according to the provisions of law to prevent and combat smuggling and illegal transportation of goods being counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights in the geographical areas of customs operation. Compared with the provisions of Circular no. 13/2015/TT-BTC, the scope of customs control for counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights is expanded, not only borders, non-tariff areas.

The Ministry of Finance supplements cases of refusal to receive applications for inspection and supervision of export and import goods that require protection of intellectual property rights of organizations or individuals, specifically: may refuse to accept applications if additional submissions are within 10 working days from the date of the notice of additional submission.

Besides, amending and supplementing regulations on handling of goods showing signs of intellectual property rights infringement. Within 03 working days after receiving the notice of goods showing signs of infringement of intellectual property rights of the customs office, if the intellectual property right holder or the lawfully authorized person does not have the request for suspension of customs procedures is completed, the customs authority will continue to carry out the customs procedures. In case the intellectual property right owner or the lawfully authorized person does not have a written request for temporary suspension of customs procedures but pays a sum of money or guarantee documents as prescribed or have a written request for temporary suspension of customs procedures but do not pay a sum of money or guarantee documents as prescribed, the Sub-department of Customs where customs procedures are carried out does not suspend customs procedures for goods, unless it is detected counterfeit goods on intellectual property. In contrast, if the intellectual property rights owner of goods requests the suspension of customs procedures, the Sub-department of Customs where the customs procedures are carried out shall issue a decision on suspension of customs procedures. In cases where there are sufficient grounds to identify goods infringing upon intellectual property rights, the Director of the Customs Sub-Department shall consider deciding to immediately apply handling measures prescribed in Articles 214 and 215 of the Law on Intellectual Property 2005, at the same time, coordinate with control forces at all levels to collect information, investigate and verify goods to handle according to regulations. The time limit for suspension of customs procedures is 10 working days from the date the customs authority issues a decision to suspend customs procedures. In addition, different from the previous regulations, the person who requests for temporary suspension of customs procedures may extend the time limit (if there is a plausible reason) if paying additional money or guarantee documents, the extended time limit; the extended period shall not exceed 10 working days from the expiry of the suspension period as prescribed in clause 8, Article 1 of Circular no. 05/2020/TT-BTC.

Regulations on suspension of customs procedures for detecting signs of infringement of intellectual property rights are provisions to protect goods that have been registered for intellectual property rights. Intellectual property is the most valuable type of intangible asset to every enterprise. When an enterprise has trademarks, inventions, industrial designs… applied to products that are registered for intellectual property rights, these intellectual property objects will become the property of the enterprise, and giving the company a lot of advantages on monopoly rights and protection policies and such should be protected properly with the help of intellectual property lawyers.

This Circular is effective from April 20, 2020. Organizations and individuals exporting or importing goods; Organizations and individuals that are owners of intellectual property rights, owners of genuine goods which are counterfeited or lawful representatives of owners need to follow and comply with the provisions of law to know and protect their rights.

ANT Lawyers - A Law firm in Vietnam is supported by a team of experienced patent, trademark, design attorneys with qualification and skills handling full range of legal services relating to intellectual property rights in Vietnam.  We have specialized in the preparation and registration of patents, trademarks and designs for our clients.

Read More

Customs Procedures Handling of Exported and Imported Goods Infringing Intellectual Property Rights.

On conducting customs procedures for exported or imported goods, the customs authority shall be responsible to inspect and compare the declared information of the goods owners on the written customs declarations on goods’ names, trademarks, origin, value,…; Inspect and compare the concluded contents of the State management agencies on the exported or imported goods; Results of customs dossiers inspection with the results of goods actual inspection; To compare the said inspection results with the laws and regulations on counterfeit goods.

Customs dispute law firm in Vietnam

In case the goods are found with intellectual property rights infringement signs, leaders of the Department of Customs where the infringing goods are located shall consider and decide to apply measures to prevent administrative violations and ensure the administrative violations punishment according to Current regulations for the cases:

Imported goods do not comply with goods labeling in accordance with regulations of laws; state inspection conclusion on goods quality or goods quality inspection results determine that the inspected goods do not fulfill requirements on importation and exportation quality; the goods listed in the list of state management agencies that fail to meet quality standards or are not allowed to circulate on the market; The contents stated on the goods labels are incompliant with other enclosed documents and so on.

Regarding the infringing goods and being temporarily suspended, during the time the goods are being temporarily suspended or subjected to prevention measures as prescribed by laws, the Departments Customs shall be responsible to take the following verification measures: Requesting the goods owner, owners of genuine goods which are counterfeited to provide documentation relating to the goods; cooperating with the goods owners and owners of genuine goods being counterfeited to collect samples and unify the appraisement traders to conduct appraisement; coordinating with the anti-smuggling control forces in verification and investigation according to prescribed profession.

Actions against counterfeit goods or goods with signs of counterfeit

In case the imported, exported goods are detected to be counterfeit, preventive and penalty measures in accordance with legislation on penalties for administrative violations shall be applied;

If exported and imported goods are detected with signs of counterfeit, the Director of the Department of Customs shall request the customs declarant to provide documents related to the goods:

A sale contract of goods or vouchers with equivalent value;

A technical document or a written component analysis (if any).

If the owner of the genuine goods which are counterfeited is determined, the owner of genuine goods which are counterfeited shall provide documents related to goods (such as catalogs, appraisement conclusions, and documents from abroad, results of handling of similar cases). If the owner of the genuine goods could not be determined, customs dossiers, genuine goods, analysis results of the risk information of goods and the law on counterfeit goods shall be utilized for identification; customs control forces shall be cooperated to investigate, verify (if necessary) or transfer information, case files to customs control forces to investigate, verify and handle in accordance with regulations of laws.

To learn more about ANT Lawyers IP Practice or contact our IP lawyers in Vietnam for advice via email ant@antlawyers.vn or call our office at (+84) 24 32 23 27 71

Read More