Vietnam Details CFS Exemption Requirements for Imported Cosmetics from the CPTPP and the ASEAN Member States

On Dec. 31, 2020, the Vietnam Ministry of Health issued Circular 29/2020/TT-BYT, amending and supplementing the articles of several regulations, including Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT Providing Cosmetic Management. ¹ The amendments and supplements took effect on Feb. 15, 2021. Then on Mar. 16, 2021, Vietnam issued Consolidated Document 07/2021/VBHN-BYT Consolidating the Circular on Cosmetic Management, integrating the amended and newly added articles. ²

The main amendments include the clarification of CFS exemption requirements and the necessary information on CFS, and slight adjustments on the cosmetic notification report template.

1. CFS Exemptions

Imported cosmetics must submit CFS when conducting cosmetic notifications in Vietnam. The revised Circular adds three exemptions for CFS submission.

No.	CFS Exemptions	Notes
1	Cosmetics manufactured in CPTPP* member states are exempted from CFS submission.	/
2	Cosmetics circulated and exported from CPTPP member states are exempted from CFS submission.	One of the following documents proving that the cosmetics are circulated in CPTPP member states is required to submit: Cosmetics circulation permit legalized by the consulate; or Cosmetics notification report with a notification receipt number legalized by the consulate; or Other legal documents proving that the cosmetics are circulated in CPTPP member states, which are issued by the competent authority and legalized by the consulate.
3	Cosmetics obtaining the cosmetic notification receipt number in ASEAN member states are exempted from CFS submission.	The cosmetics notification report with a notification receipt number legalized by the consulate is required to submit.

2. Necessary Information on the CFS

For cosmetics not from CPTPP and ASEAN member states, the CFS to be submitted should have at least the following information:

Name of the CFS issuing agency

No. and issuing date of the CFS

Product names

Product types

Name and address of the manufacturer

The CFS must clearly state that the products are manufactured and allowed to be sold freely in the manufacturing country or the country where the CFS is issued

Full name and signature of the CFS signer and seal of the CFS issuing agency

3. Adjustments on the Notification Report Template

The cosmetics notification report template is slightly adjusted. Imported cosmetics require filling in the exporting country, and whether the products are free sold in the exporting country or manufacturing country.

*CPTPP: On Mar. 8, 2018, Vietnam and ten other countries (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Canada) signed a free trade agreement named the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP provided preferential access to markets of the 11 participating countries. On Jan. 14, 2019, the CPTPP entered into force for Vietnam.