Customs declaration service for chemicals

Read the SDS and establish what the goods are

The safety data sheet is the source document for classification: Section 1 (intended use), Section 3 (composition and percentages), Section 9 (physical and chemical properties), Section 14 (UN transport classification). The percentage in Section 3 is usually the figure that decides the HS code.

Classify by composition and concentration

Classification follows chemical nature and component ratios, not the trade name. The HS code drives import duty, VAT, environmental protection tax where applicable, and whether the declaration duty applies at all.

Determine the chemical declaration duty

Goods under Chapter 28 or 29 must be declared through the National Single Window before clearance under Article 6 of Decree 26/2026/ND-CP. Clause 7 of Article 6 lists the exemptions - we check each one rather than declaring just to be safe.

Check the control lists, prepare a Vietnamese SDS and GHS labels

Match the product's CAS numbers against the control-list appendices of Decree 24/2026/ND-CP to see whether conditions or a licence apply; hazardous chemicals placed on the Vietnamese market need a 16-section Vietnamese SDS plus GHS labelling with a Vietnamese supplementary label.

Over-declaring merely because the product "contains chemicals"

A mixture whose primary code sits outside Chapters 28/29 remains exempt even when it contains a Chapter 28/29 substance, under point (dd), clause 7, Article 6 of Decree 26/2026. This is the most common error with preparations: over-declaring wastes time and creates a file that does not match the code actually declared.

Using the HS code printed on the supplier's invoice

The code on a foreign invoice or C/O is reference only. The importer must determine the code under Vietnam's tariff schedule, using SDS Section 3 as evidence. Declaring on a foreign code invites duty reassessment and penalties.

Ignoring concentration thresholds when classifying

Many boundaries in this category are percentage thresholds rather than product names - most notably the 70% petroleum-oil threshold separating heading 2710 from heading 3403. The same drum of "lubricating grease" can land in either heading, with a different tax profile.