The Ministry of Science and Technology has issued Circular No. 56/2026/TT-BKHCN, setting out regulations on the import of used machinery, equipment and technology lines.
The circular applies to machinery, equipment and technology lines classified under Chapters 84 and 85 of Vietnam’s List of Imports and Exports, when imported by enterprises for use in production in Vietnam. It does not apply to goods on lists of items banned from import under regulations issued by the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries or ministerial-level agencies.
Under the new regulations, used technology lines may be imported provided they meet a number of requirements.
First, the technology lines must have been manufactured in accordance with safety, energy-efficiency and environmental-protection standards and comply with applicable national technical regulations (QCVN).
Where no relevant QCVN exists, the technology lines must have been manufactured in accordance with technical specifications under Vietnamese national standards (TCVN), or national standards of a G7 country or the Republic of Korea.
Second, their remaining capacity — measured by the quantity of products produced by the technology line within a given period — or remaining performance must be at least 85% of the designed capacity or performance.
Third, the consumption of raw materials, materials and energy must not exceed 15% above the designed levels.
Fourth, the circular sets requirements concerning the origin and prevalence of the technology. The technology used in the production line must not be included in the list of technologies subject to restrictions or bans on transfer under current regulations.
Fifth, the technology used in the technology line must be in operation at least three production facilities in countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
For used machinery and equipment, the first requirement is that they must be no more than 10 years old. Certain specialized sectors are subject to separate age limits specified in an appendix to the circular.
As with technology lines, used machinery and equipment must meet safety, energy-efficiency and environmental-protection standards and comply with applicable QCVN requirements.
The circular also provides an exception for enterprises already operating production facilities in Vietnam that need to import machinery or equipment more than 10 years old in order to maintain their operations.
In such cases, enterprises may request the Ministry to consider approving the import, provided the equipment meets two conditions: its remaining capacity or performance is at least 85% of its designed capacity or performance, and its consumption of raw materials, materials and energy does not exceed 15% above the designed levels.
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