There will be no limits on the amounts of sugar imports into Vietnam from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), beginning next year.

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The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will not apply any import quota from January 1, 2020.

Under the Circular No. 23/2019/TT-BCT, the MoIT said the new regulation would be applied to sugar with code HS 1701.

The amount of sugar imported from ASEAN countries is not included in the annual tariff quotas, which are announced by the MoIT under the commitments of the World Trade Organization (WTO) applied to WTO member countries.

The ministry will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, relevant State management agencies and Vietnam Sugar Association to study and advise the Government for consideration to apply trade remedies and import management measures in line with international commitments, ensuring fair competition and reasonable protection of domestic production if there is a sudden increase of imports which could damage Vietnamese businesses.