Provides information on any manufacturing sectors or services where only citizens or a sub-set of the population in that country are allowed to own or sell.
Last Published: 7/12/2018

Since entering the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in 2000, Vietnam has granted the United States Most Favored Nation status (Normal Trade Relations), where our imported goods are treated as locally-produced goods (National Treatment). Since then the bilateral trade relationship between the two countries has been steadily increasing. With Vietnam’s commitment to the WTO, the country is in the process of liberalizing the trade and distribution of imported goods. However, there are still restrictions on the distribution of some products.
In general, the following goods are currently prohibited from import:

  • Weapons, ammunition, explosive materials, and military technical equipment.
  • Assorted firecrackers, sky lights, and the equipment interfering with the road traffic, speech measuring instruments.
  • Eight categories of second hand consumer goods.
  • Types of publications in the category prohibited from dissemination and circulation in Vietnam.
  • Postal stamps in the category prohibited from business, exchange, display, and propagation as prescribed by Law on Post.
  • Radio equipment, equipment applying radio wave not in line with planning on radio frequency and relevant technical regulations in accordance with Law on radio frequencies.
  • Cultural products in the category prohibited from dissemination and circulation in Vietnam or having issued decision on suspension of dissemination and circulation in Vietnam.
  • Many categories of vehicles.
  • Six categories of second hand materials and transport facilities.
  • Chemicals prohibited in Appendix III of the Rotterdam Convention.
  • Plant protection agents prohibited from use in Vietnam.
  • Scrap and waste, refrigerating equipment using C.F.C.
  • Products, raw materials containing asbestos of the group of amphibole.
Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.


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Vietnam Trade Development and Promotion