List of imported food items subject to state inspection for food safety.

On August 30, 2023, the General Department of Customs held a meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to discuss the aforementioned issues and reached the following agreement:

The list of imported food items subject to state inspection for food safety, as stipulated in the Law on Food Safety and Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP, is specified as follows:

- Circular No. 11/2021/TT-BNNPTNT dated September 20, 2021, issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, promulgating the HS code for the list of goods under the state management authority of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the list of goods subject to specialized inspection for import and export in the field of agriculture and rural development;

- Circular No. 28/2021/TT-BYT dated December 20, 2021, issued by the Minister of Health, promulgating the list of food, food additives, and food packaging materials and containers that have been assigned commodity codes according to the Vietnamese export and import commodity list, serving the purpose of state inspection of food safety for imported food;

- Decision No. 1182/QD-BCT dated April 6, 2021, of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the promulgation of the list of imported goods (with HS codes) subject to specialized inspection under the management responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Imported food products not included in the list of food products subject to state inspection under Circulars No. 11/2021/TT-BNNPTNT, No. 28/2021/TT-BYT, and Decision No. 1182/QD-BCT mentioned above, are not required to comply with regulations on state inspection of food safety for imported food products; the inspection and management of imported goods when sold or used by businesses in Vietnam is the responsibility of the relevant specialized ministry.

The relevant ministries will strengthen control over imported food not included in the list of state food safety inspections in the aforementioned circulars and decisions of the ministries after the goods have been cleared through customs.

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