In an agricultural country like Vietnam, pesticides are an indispensable product. However, the use of pesticides must be of the right type and correct way, otherwise, it will cause serious effects on the environment. Those of you who follow King Elong’s page surely know that we operate in the pesticide industry. We have shared with you information about the market as well as types of documents and common fees when importing pesticides, but not everyone knows about the pesticides import process that needs to be done in Vietnam. Let's take a look at the conditions and process with King Elong!
I. Conditions for importing pesticides
When importing pesticides, there are 2 cases:
- Pesticides require import license
- Pesticides do not require import license
1. In case of pesticides requiring import license:
👉 Pesticides are not included on the List of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam for temporary import, re-export, or import for production in Vietnam for export purposes under contracts signed with foreign countries.
👉 Pesticides for fumigation contain the active ingredient Methyl Bromide and active ingredients with acute toxicity categories I and II according to the globally harmonized system of chemical classification and labeling (GHS). For this type of pesticide, when imported, there must be a state inspection of its quality by a specialized plant protection and quarantine agency, and can only be imported when it meets the requirements according to the legal provisions.
👉 Pesticides that are not included on the List of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam are imported for testing to register pesticides.
👉 Pesticides not included in the List of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam are imported for testing, research, and use in foreign projects in Vietnam, pesticides used as sample goods, goods for exhibitions, fairs and other special cases according to the decision of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
👉 Pesticides on the List of pesticides banned from use in Vietnam but imported as standard substances.
2. In case of import without import license:
👉 When an organization or individual registering a pesticide on the List of pesticides permitted for use in Vietnam imports or authorizes another organization or individual to import that pesticide.
👉 Imported pesticides are not on the List of pesticides requiring an import license mentioned above.
👉 Imported pesticides must be inspected by specialized agencies for product quality and can only be imported when they meet the requirements of legal regulations.
II. HS code of pesticides
3808: HS code for pesticides used to kill insects, weeds, harmful rodents, and fungi, regulate plant growth, and so on. HS codes are very important in the import process, they will be shown on the Bill of Lading and Certificate of Origin. If there are errors in the HS code, customs procedures cannot be completed. In includes:
- 380891. HS code of insecticide.
- 380892: HS code of fungicide.
- 380893: HS code for herbicides, anti-sprouting, and plant growth regulators.
- 380894: HS code of disinfectant.
- 380899: HS code of other pesticides.
III. The process of importing pesticides needs to be done in Vietnam
👉 Apply for an import license if the imported goods are subject to a license as listed above.
👉 The buyer has to register for state inspection of imported pesticide quality at the Plant Protection Department, and have a quality inspection registration document to make a declaration (customs does not allow debt; if you do not have it, you cannot make the declaration).
👉 After making the declaration, the importer is allowed to take the goods to the warehouse for storage before the inspection results are available. Within 2 days of making the declaration, the Plant Protection Department will go to the enterprise's warehouse to take samples for inspection. Usually, it takes 5-7 days for the inspection results to be available. If it is prolonged, the Plant Protection Department will notify.
👉 A shipment of pesticides can only be cleared for import when there is a certificate that the sample meets the requirements of state inspection standards on the quality of imported pesticides from the Plant Protection Department. When the goods are cleared through customs and the sample meets the required quality, it means the product is allowed to be sold on the market.
In addition to working with the exporter on goods and shipping schedules, the importer needs to prepare additional documents as above to serve the registration of quality inspection and customs procedures to complete the process of importing pesticides complete the process of importing pesticides.
We, King Elong, hope that this article can help you have a basic understanding of the pesticide import process that needs to be followed in Vietnam. Regarding the details of import documents for each type of pesticide, see you again in the following articles!
