Amending foreign trade development measures

On February 07, 2024, the Government issues Decree No. 14/2024/ND-CP on amending and supplementing several articles of the Decree No. 28/2018/ND-CP of March 1, 2018, detailing several articles of the Law on Foreign Trade Management regarding foreign trade development measures.

Some important contents is prescribed in the Decree 14 as follows:

A foreign trade-promotion organization wishing to establish a Vietnam-based representative office shall send 1 dossier of application for a license for the establishment of a Vietnam-based representative office to the provincial-level Department of Industry and Trade (the licensing agency) of the locality where the representative office is expected to be located.

Within 20 days of receiving a complete dossier, the licensing agency shall consider it and grant to the foreign trade promotion organization a license for the establishment of the representative office.

If refusing to grant a license, the licensing agency shall issue a written reply, clearly stating the reason. In case it is required to consult the Ministry of Public Security and/or Ministry of National Defense under Clause 8 of this Article, the time limit for granting a license is 40 days after the receipt of a complete dossier.”.

After granting to a foreign trade-promotion organization a license for establishment of Vietnam-based representative office, the licensing agency shall send an electronic license to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, provincial-level Departments of Industry and Trade nationwide, and provincial-level agencies of the locality where the representative office is located,  including the provincial-level People’s Committee, tax office, statistics office and Public Security agency, and publish such on the licensing agency’s website.”.