Regulations challenging enterprises to be removed

The move would make life easier for thousands of local manufacturers and foreign importers.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) announced that it would soon nullify the requirement for enterprises to obtain energy label certification for customs clearance, after four years of this troublesome practice.

This development is a part of the ministry’s administrative reform efforts after it recently removed Circular 37 on the limits and inspection of content of formaldehyde and aromatic amines derived from azo colorants in textile products.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh requested the General Department of Energy to review the legal basis of the rules on energy labelling certification as well as the related procedures in order to cut time and achieve more transparency.

Under the MoIT’s Circular No.07/2012/TT-BCT enacted in April 2012, in order to certify energy labelling and minimum energy proficiency standards (MEPS), manufacturers and importers must have product samples tested at laboratories appointed by the MoIT. 

According to current regulations, before being marketed in Vietnam, thousands of products, such as refrigerators, printers, and light bulbs, have to be tested for MEPS and obtain an energy label.

The  testing results granted by the appointed testing organisations with a period of not exceeding six months from date of issue according to the circular.

The firms complained that the insufficient number of eligible testing centres in the country have prolonged testing times and raised costs for enterprises. Currently, there are only six authorised testing centres across the country, and each one is only eligible to test a certain group of products.

A nationwide survey conducted by the USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth Program shows that the time needed for testing a product varies from several days to several months.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham) earlier sent written objection to the MoIT’s contested circular.

AmCham suggested that the MEPS requirement on certification by an accredited domestic test labs should be waived for globally well-known brands or for advanced technologies. 

Most electric manufacturers, such as Apple, Dell, Canon, Sony, HP, and Samsung, already apply international energy efficiency standards. Their products are tested by internationally-recognised laboratories before they are circulated on the market.

“Therefore, testing these products again for energy labelling is redundant and unnecessary, especially with the limited capacity and resources in Vietnam,” the document stated.