Allocation of import sugar tariff quota through auction in 2023

Following the meeting of the Council for the Allocation of Tariff Quota on the morning of November 3, 2023, regarding the allocation of import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023, and with regards to the opinions of Council Members and the Council's Advisory Members, the Chairman of the Council has decided on the content of the Notification regarding the allocation of import sugar tariff quota for the year 2023 as follows:

1. Traders may request for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023 

Traders using raw sugar as a manufacturing material and traders using raw sugar to produce refined sugar may request for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota through the auction method as follows:

a) Traders using raw sugar for the production of refined sugar may only request for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota for raw sugar products through the auction method in 2023.

b) Traders directly using sugar as a manufacturing material may only request for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota for refined sugar through the auction method in 2023 .

2. The allocated import sugar tariff quota for the year 2023

The allocated import tariff quota for sugar (HS code 17.01) through the auction method in 2023 is estimated at 119,000 metric tons.

3. Starting price, advance payment

a) Starting price: 2,300,000 Vietnamese dong per ton.

b) Bid increment: 50,000 Vietnamese dong per ton.

c) Advance payment: (starting price x quantity of sugar registered for the allocation of import sugar tariff quota) x 10%.

4. Application for the allocation of import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023

a) Traders falling under the provisions of Section 1 shall submit a securely sealed envelope, clearly marked on the outer surface with the following details:

"Application for the allocation of import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023; Trader's Name; Trader's contact information (address, telephone number, fax number, email address)."

b) The envelope must includes the following:

- Bid Submission Form (as per the Appendix issued with Circular No. 11/2022/TT-BCT dated June 27, 2022, by the Minister of Industry and Trade stipulating the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota through the auction method). The Bid Submission Form must be placed in a separate sealed envelope, endorsed with the trader's signature on the edges of the envelope and enclosed within the sealed application envelope.

- Business Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate or equivalent documents: 01 copy, certified and notarized by the trader.

- Proof of the advance payment deposited into the Ministry of Industry and Trade's account (Account name: Ministry of Industry and Trade Office; Account number: 999996739999; Bank's address: Vietnam Post Bank - Thanh Nhan branch, Hanoi city): 01 copy, certified and notarized by the trader.

5. Submission location

Traders can submit their applications via postal mail or directly to the standing agency of the Council for the Allocation of Tariff Quota (udner the Agency of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade) with its address at: No. 23, Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi city. The application's receipt time is calculated based on the Ministry of Industry and Trade's official stamp.

6. Application submission deadline

The application can be submitted at the above location between 08:00 on November 6, 2023, and 17:00 on November 21, 2023.

7. Venue and schedule for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023

a) Venue: Meeting Room at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. (Address: 54 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi city).

b) Time: 09:00 on November 28, 2023 (Tuesday).

8. Other notes

The Minister of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 1578/QD-BCT dated June 15, 2021 regarding official anti-dumping and countervailing duties on certain sugarcane products originating from the Kingdom of Thailand; Decision No. 1514/QD-BCT dated August 1, 2022 on anti-circumvention measures against trade remedy measures on select sugarcane products imported into Vietnam from the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; Decision No. 1989/QD-BCT dated August 3, 2023, on the first review results regarding the application of anti-dumping and countervailing measures on select sugarcane products from the Kingdom of Thailand; Decision No. 2960/QD-BCT, dated December 30, 2022, which amended and supplemented Decision No. 1514/QD-BCT dated August 1, 2022, on anti-circumvention measures against trade remedy measures for select sugarcane products.

In the event a trader, who imports sugar originating from the Kingdom of Thailand, is selected for the allocation of the import sugar tariff quota through the auction method in 2023, they will be subject to official anti-dumping and countervailing duties according to Decision No. 1578/QD-BCT and Decision No. 1989/QD-BCT. If the sugar is imported from countries listed under Decision No. 1514/QD-BCT and Decision No. 2960/QD-BCT, it may be subject to anti-circumvention duties against trade remedy measures.