G/TBT/N/VNM/26  
 
31 January 2013  
(13-0558)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  VIET NAM  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:   
The Ministry of Health 
Department of Science and Training 
138A Giang Vo Street  Ba Dinh District 
Ha Noi 
Viet Nam Tel.:  (84-4) 62732273 Fax:  38464051 
E-mail:  byt@moh.gov.vn  
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Tobacco 
Products 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Joint Ministerial 
Circular of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Industry and Trade on the labelling and 
printing of the health warnings on the packet of tobacco products (8 pages, in Vietnamese 
and English).         
6. Description of content:  In 18 June 2013, the National Assembly issued the Tobacco 
Control Law. This is the first and comprehensive legal document on Tobacco Control work in Vietnam. Pursuing to the Article 15 of Law, Tobacco products manufactured in or 
imported into Vietnam for consumption shall be labeled and printed with the health 
warnings. The Minister of Health to take prime responsibility and collaborate with the Minister of Industry and Trade to issue deta iled regulations on this issue. Thereof, the 
Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Trade has drafted this Circular. It 
regulates labeling and printing of the health warnings on the packet of tobacco that are manufactured and imported for consumption in Viet Nam. Both domestic and foreign entities and individuals who do and participate in the business of tobacco products in the 
territory of Viet Nam shall comply with the regulations of this Circular.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health.   G/TBT/N/VNM/26 
 
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  8. Relevant documents:    
- WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; 
- Law No 09/2012/QH13 dated 18 June 2012  on prevention and control of tobacco 
harms; 
- Government Decree No 89/2006/ND-CP dated 30 August 2006 on goods labelling. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    Not determined 1 May 2013 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from the date of notification 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:    
The Ministry of Health 
Department of Science and Training 138A Giang Vo Street  
Ba Dinh District 
Ha Noi Viet Nam 
Tel.:  (84-4) 62732273 
Fax:  (84-4) 38464051 E-mail:  byt@moh.gov.vn  
or available at: 
http://www.tbtvn.org/Ti% 20liu%20upload%20cho%20QC KT/QCKT/text_VNM26.rar