The Ministry of Industry and Trade issues an urgent Directive to prevent fraud of goods origin
On April 15, 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Directive 09/CT-BCT on strengthening state management of inspection and supervision of the origin of goods in the new situation.
Directive 09/CT-BCT clearly states that the current international trade situation is complicated, fast, unpredictable, strategic competition is increasingly strong and sensitive, especially when the United States applies countervailing tariffs to many countries in the world, including Vietnam.
At the same time, escalating trade tensions lead to trade fraud. In particular, the origin fraud of goods tends to increase and become more complicated to avoid sanctions that countries will apply to imported goods.
To proactively adapt to the new situation, the Minister of Industry and Trade requested relevant units and agencies under this ministry, especially agencies and organizations issuing Certificates of Origin (C/O) to resolutely and synchronously implement many tasks.
For the Import-Export Department, the Department needs to amend and supplement legal documents in the field of goods origin in accordance with the Law on Government Organization 2025 and the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 to organize the implementation of C/O issuance in the new situation.
At the same time, advise the minister to issue a document requesting functional ministries, industry associations and manufacturing and exporting enterprises to strengthen management and supervision of input materials for exported goods to meet food hygiene and safety requirements, quality and origin of goods according to imported water requirements...
For the Legal Department, the Legal Department needs to coordinate with the Import-Export Department to promptly complete legal documents that need to be amended and supplemented in accordance with the Law on Government Organization 2025 and the Law on Organization of Local Government 2025 to organize the implementation of appropriate C/O issuance in the new situation.
The Legal Department shall preside over and coordinate with the Import-Export Department to review relevant current legal documents to propose the development of a mechanism for implementing C/O levels in accordance with the new situation...
For the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, the Department is responsible for presiding over and coordinating with the Import-Export Department to urgently upgrade and perfect the features of eCoSys to soon deploy the implementation of granting non-preferential C/O types, ensuring the effectiveness of granting preferential C/O.
In addition, it is necessary to preside over and coordinate with the Import-Export Department to research and develop additional information data processing features on eCoSys to serve the work of reviewing, evaluating, inspecting activities to propose C/O and verifying if necessary...
For the Department of Foreign Market Development, it is necessary to direct Vietnamese commercial agencies abroad to study and learn about the mechanisms and regulations on the origin of goods of host countries, and provide them to the Import-Export Department to perfect regulations on the origin and C/O regulations, preventing fraud of goods.
Preside over and coordinate with the Import-Export Department and the Trade Defense Department to promptly provide information on policy moves of countries in the management of goods import activities through state management tools on the origin of goods and trade defense measures.
For the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development, the department needs to strengthen inspection and supervision of the market to detect and handle acts of trading in goods, especially smuggled materials and goods of unknown origin, to produce export goods, in case it is necessary to transfer them to competent authorities for handling to ensure strictness of the law...
The Trade Defense Department needs to preside over and coordinate with relevant units to focus on implementing the task force of the Ministry of Industry and Trade assigned in Decision No. 824/QD-TTg dated July 4, 2019 of the Prime Minister approving the Project "Strengthening state management of combating trade defense and origin fraud measures", according to the specific assignment in Decision No. 2094A/QD-BCT dated July 15, 2019 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade promulgating an action plan to implement the Project "Strengthening state management of combating trade defense and origin fraud".
The FTA Department of Multilateral Trade Policy needs to actively monitor and discuss with FTA partners to handle problems arising related to the origin of goods during the implementation of FTAs; coordinate with relevant units to synthesize, report and propose appropriate handling plans, ensure compliance with international commitments and protect the legitimate rights of Vietnamese enterprises.
The Ministry's Office, the Department of Planning, Finance and Business Management need to coordinate with the Import-Export Department according to the assigned functions and tasks related to state management of the origin of export goods.
For agencies and organizations at the C/O level, it is necessary to fully fulfill their responsibilities for granting, inspecting, and verifying C/O according to the provisions of Decree No. 31/2018/ND-CP dated March 8, 2018 of the Government detailing the Law on Foreign Trade Management on the Origin of Goods and current regulations.
It is necessary to promote the fight against origin fraud by enhancing the effectiveness of C/O issuance and inspection, especially for enterprises with a sudden increase in the number of C/O application documents...
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