Imports of automobile and mobile phones under automatic licensing
Source: 07-AUG-2008 Intellasia | VnExpress
Aug 7, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM Ministry of Industry and Trade has decided to put Complete Built Cars and mobile phones into the list of import items imposed the automatic license granting scheme. This is regarded as a strong measure to control trade deficit.

Accordingly, imported cars, mobile phones and other consumer items will have to gain automatic licenses issued by the ministry. Businesses will be granted automatic import licences by certifying import registration for each shipment. The certification of import registration will be implemented by head or vice heads of Import and Export Department.

The automatic licensing deadline must be implemented within 10 working days as from the day Ministry of Industry of Trade receives enough lawful documents. As asking import procedures, businesses will have to present the certified import registration application along with import documents to customs agencies.

No more than five days from all customs procedures for the import shipments are completed, businesses must report their import situation to the ministry.

The Decision was issued on August 1 and will be enforced after 21 days from being released and expired on December 31, 2008.

Vice minister Bui Xuan Khu said, the re-applying of automatic licensing scheme as for automobile and mobile phone imports is aimed to restrict the massive car imports into Vietnam in the first half of this year. The ministry will halt licensing if other control measures are not effective.

Previously, automobile importers can declare customs procedures in 15 days before shipments arrive and are allowed to pay import tariffs after 30 days from receiving shipments. But now, they will have to pay tariffs just as making customs procedures.

With the current tax policy along with technical barrier, I believe that there are not many imported car volume in following months, he confirmed.

Some import items subject to automatic licensing scheme are furniture, cushion, kinds of watches and clocks, electrical machines and equipments, sound recorder, telephone for cellular networks or wireless telephones, products originated from grains, powder, kinds of cakes, sugar and kinds of candy, cocoa, and processed fat.