You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

August 26, 2021

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health Issues List of Substances Prohibited from Use in Health Supplements

Subscribe to Updates

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam recently issued Circular No. 10/2021/TT-BYT dated June 30, 2021, stipulating the list of substances prohibited from use in the production and trading of health supplements (“Circular 10”). Circular 10 will come into effect on September 1, 2021.

Accordingly, substances found on the following lists will be prohibited from use in health supplements:

  1. The list of drugs and drug materials prohibited from importation and production found in Annex V of Decree No. 54/2017/ND-CP of the Government dated May 8, 2017, guiding the implementation of Law on Pharmacy (Decree 54).
  2. Lists promulgated with Decree No. 73/2018/ND-CP of the Government dated May 15, 2018, stipulating the list of narcotic substances and precursors, including:
  • List I: Narcotic substances banned from use in healthcare and daily life, the use of which for analysis, testing, scientific research, and criminal investigation is subject to permission by competent authorities.
  • List II: Narcotic substances restricted from analysis, testing, scientific research, criminal investigation, or healthcare as regulated by competent authorities.
  • List III: Narcotic substances permitted in analysis, testing, scientific research, criminal investigation, healthcare, and veterinary medicine as regulated by competent authorities.
  • List IVA: Essential precursors involved in forming the structure of narcotic substances.
  1. The list of narcotic active ingredients found in Annex I of Circular No. 20/2017/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health, detailing articles of the Law on Pharmacy and Decree 54 related to drugs and drug materials under special control.
  2. The list of toxic drugs and toxic drug materials under Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health dated May 3, 2017.
  3. Lists under Circular No. 42/2017/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health dated November 13, 2017, stipulating the lists of toxic herbal materials, including:
    • Annex I: List of toxic herbal materials of plant origin.
    • Annex II: List of toxic herbal materials of animal origin.
    • Annex III: List of toxic herbal materials of mineral origin.
  4. A list of 80 additional chemical substances included as an Annex to Circular 10, including 1-3-dimethylamulamine, sildenafil, betamethasone, etc.
Related Professionals

Industries

Consumer Products

Life Sciences

Practices

Regulatory Affairs

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

March 25, 2024
Attorneys from Tilleke & Gibbins in Vietnam have provided an updated Vietnam chapter for Fashion Law 2024, a guide to law surrounding the business of fashion in jurisdictions around the world. The guide, which covers 20 key jurisdictions in the global fashion industry, offers insights into local legal frameworks for a range of issues, such as brand enforcement and protection, e-commerce and marketing, and sustainability. The Vietnam chapter of Fashion Law 2024 provides detailed information on the following topics: Main intellectual property rights for fashion products Contractual arrangements in manufacturing, distribution, and advertising Regulations and enforcement of online marketing Unfair competition rules and judicial interpretation Specific regulations on sustainability and ESG in fashion Special import and export rules for fashion products The full Vietnam chapter is available for free through the button below and on the Global Legal Post website. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Thailand chapter to the guide.
Read More
March 25, 2024
Tilleke & Gibbins has provided an updated Thailand chapter for Fashion Law 2024 from Global Legal Post. The guide covers 20 key jurisdictions in the global fashion industry, offering insights into local legal frameworks surrounding issues such as brand enforcement and protection, e-commerce and marketing, and sustainability considerations. The Thailand chapter of Fashion Law 2024 provides detailed information on the following topics: Main intellectual property rights for fashion products Contractual arrangements in manufacturing, distribution, and advertising Regulations and enforcement of online marketing Unfair competition rules and judicial interpretation Specific regulations on sustainability and ESG in fashion Special import and export rules for fashion products The full Thailand chapter is available for free through the button below and on the Global Legal Post website. Tilleke & Gibbins also contributed the Vietnam chapter to the guide.
Read More
March 22, 2024
Laos has returned its value-added tax rate to 10% from the 7% rate that had been observed for the last two years. The new rate was specified in Ordinance No. 003/PDT, dated March 19, 2024, and announced on the website of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. Prior to this, the last announcement of an adjustment in the VAT rate came in the last week of December 2021, when the Ministry of Justice published the Law Amending Certain Provisions of the Laws on Tax No. 01/NA, dated August 7, 2021, in the Government Gazette. This law, which entered into force in January 2022, amended the VAT rate from 10% to 7%. Under Lao law, the ordinance is effective from its date of signing by the president of Laos (i.e., March 19, 2024). However, the tax authorities have indicated that the new rate will not be enforced immediately but will be implemented in the near future, such as when it is published in the Lao Official Gazette. This change of the VAT rate to 10% does not come as a surprise. Some international experts and organizations had been recommending that Laos adopt a 10% VAT rate given its current economic challenges, arguing that Laos should prioritize collecting tax and replenishing the state budget. This was, for instance, recommended by the World Bank in the November 2023 Lao PDR Economic Monitor. Tilleke & Gibbins will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the 10% VAT rate will be enforced. For more details on the rate changes, or on any aspect of tax law in Laos, please contact Tilleke & Gibbins at [email protected].
Read More
March 22, 2024
Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry (MOI) has issued a new regulation requiring importers of textiles, textile products, bags, and footwear to furnish applicable trademark certificates when applying for an import permit. This means that a letter of appointment to import from the trademark owner or authorized representative is no longer sufficient to obtain an import permit for these goods. The requirement is detailed in MOI Regulation No. 5 of 2024 concerning Procedures for Issuing Technical Considerations for Imports of Textiles, Textile Products, Bags and Footwear, which took effect on March 10, 2024. Affected Products The new regulation applies to the following products: Textiles: Fiber, thread, fabric Textile products: Carpets, other textile floor coverings, clothing, ready-made clothing accessories, other finished textile goods Bags: Suitcases, wallets, school bags, sports bags, handbags, other bags Footwear: Shoes, sandals, moccasins Import Permits In principle, businesses can import textiles, textile products, bags, and footwear as raw materials, auxiliary materials, or consumer goods (for trading) after obtaining the appropriate import permit from the Ministry of Trade (MOT). There are three categories of import permits: General import permits for consumption (API-U), which are required for parties that conduct import activities for the purpose of trading; Import permits for producers (API-P); and Import permits for suppliers of raw or auxiliary materials (PPBB). Applicants for an import permit must submit an application for general importer verification (VIU), the results of which will inform the MOI’s technical consideration process. If the MOI issues a recommendation or approval based on their technical consideration, applicants will be able to proceed with the submission of their import permit to the MOT. The process of applying for and obtaining an API-U import permit has several steps, as shown in the diagram below. New Trademark Certificate Requirement Under the MOI’s March 2024 regulation, when applying for
Read More