Certificate of Free Sale

For the first time provisions on the Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) for Vietnam export products and requirements as to CFS for import products to be circulated in Vietnam have been officially issued under the Decision No. 10/2010/QD-TTg of Prime Minister dated February 02, 2010. Accordingly CFS is defined as a certificate granted by the competent authority of an exporting country to its exporters certifying that products specifed in the certificate are manufactured and sold freely in that country.

For Vietnam export products, following request of the applicant being a trader, a manufacturer or their authorized representatives, CFS may be issued upon satifaction of two conditions, namely (i) having a request from a trader, and (ii) the announced standards of the products are in compliance with the prevailing law. Furthermore, the applicant shall have to register its trader information for the first time applying for a CFS.

There are minimum contents required for CFS for both import and export products such as name of the issuing authority; reference number; issuing date; name of products being granted CFS; category and group of products being granted CFS; name and address of products' manufacturer; a phase of "products are manufactured and sold freely in the manufacturing country"; name and position of the signer of the certificate and the seal of the issuing authority. CFS for export product must be made in A4, while colour, in English and is effective for two years from the signing date.

The list of import products requiring CFS as a basis to grant other certificates and the respective CFS issuing authorities is attached as Schedule I therein.

This decision will take effect from May 1, 2010.