Vietnam to implement ATA carnet system from May 1

From May 1, 2022, Vietnam will implement the ATA carnet system.

Scope of application of the ATA carnet system

Vietnam has acceded to the “Convention on Temporary Admission of Goods” (the “Istanbul Convention” adopted on June 26, 1990) and its Annex A (that is, the “Additional “Attachment Concerning Goods for Display or Use at Exhibitions, Fairs, Conferences and Similar Events”).

In conclusion, Vietnam Customs will accept inbound ATA carnets for exhibitions and trade fairs.

Other implementation rules

(1) ATA carnets not accepted by post:

(2) ATA carnets that do not accept transit;

(3) No adjustment fee will be levied for the time being;

(4) The ATA carnet needs to be filled out in English, otherwise Vietnam Customs has the right to require the holder to provide translation;

(5) The customs office responsible for Vietnam’s entry and exit and express business will handle ATA carnet related affairs during office hours;

(6) The authorized customs declaration representative must fill in the details on the cover of the ATA carnet and column B of the certificate. If the name of the representative is not listed in column B, a power of attorney signed by the licensee must be submitted to the customs;

(7) Vietnam Customs does not accept batch import and batch re-export of goods under the ATA carnet, except for the one-time import of some goods in the goods list. For some of the above imported goods, their serial numbers can be clearly identified in the general list of goods, and all imported goods must be re-exported out of the country at one time.

Tip: “ATA” is a contraction of the French word “Admission Temporaire” and the English word “Temporary & Admission”. It literally means “temporary permission” and is interpreted as “temporary permission to import duty-free” in the ATA documentary system.