EVFTA tariff 2026: preferential import duty & C/O

EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement

European Union (27 countries)
Quick facts
Effective for Vietnam
01/08/2020
Members
European Union (27 countries)
C/O form
EUR.1 (EU goods into VN: REX self-certified statements of origin)
Import-Export Department (MOIT) / delegated provincial People’s Committees; consignments ≤ EUR 6,000 may self-certify on commercial documents
Legal basis
Decree 116/2022/NĐ-CP (special preferential import tariff, 2022–2027)
Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT (effective 10/05/2026, replacing the previous implementing circulars)
8,750/11,092 tariff lines at 0%

Top HS codes with the biggest duty savings under EVFTA

HS codeDescriptionMFNEVFTADifference
87112013Pocket motorcycles75%9%−66 pts
87112014Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 150 cc but not exceeding 200 cc75%9%−66 pts
87112015Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 200 cc but not exceeding 250 cc75%9%−66 pts
87112016Other75%9%−66 pts
87112093Pocket motorcycles75%9%−66 pts
87112094Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 150 cc but not exceeding 200 cc75%9%−66 pts
87112095Of a cylinder capacity exceeding 200 cc but not exceeding 250 cc75%9%−66 pts
87112096Other75%9%−66 pts
87112099Other75%9%−66 pts
87113011Completely Knocked Down75%9%−66 pts

Based on the 2026 tariff schedule, excluding quota-restricted lines. Data is for reference only.

Does your shipment qualify for EVFTA?

Have an Avenir expert check the rules of origin & C/O form - free of charge.

Rules of origin to know

  • EU goods entering Vietnam travel on a self-certified statement of origin, not on an EUR.1. The EU notified Vietnam that it applies the registered-exporter (REX) system under Article 15(1)(c) of the EVFTA origin protocol - confirmed in Vietnamese customs guidance 5575/TCHQ-GSQL of 21/08/2020. Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT still lists EUR.1 at Article 19.1(a) because the treaty text permits it, but that route is not the one in use for EU exports.
  • Common rules: change of tariff classification (CTC), regional value content, or specific processing operations per line - check the Product Specific Rules (PSR) annex before committing to a price.
  • Korean fabric cumulation for textiles exported to the EU is accepted under Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT.
  • Direct transport: third-country transit must keep the goods intact with documents proving origin is unchanged.

Steps to claim EVFTA preferential duty

  1. 1
    Determine the 8-digit HS code

    Use Avenir’s HS lookup tool or ask an expert - with the wrong code every later step is meaningless.

  2. 2
    Compare the EVFTA rate vs MFN

    Check the EVFTA row on the code detail page. If EVFTA is lower, work out the saving on the shipment value.

  3. 3
    Check the rules of origin (PSR)

    The goods must meet the specific rule for that HS line; ask the EU exporter to confirm their REX number is still valid.

  4. 4
    Declare the origin document on the declaration

    Declare the REX/statement reference at clearance; if missing, declare late submission under Circular 33/2023/TT-BTC.

  5. 5
    Keep records for 5 years

    Origin documents + transport records for post-clearance audit.

Post-clearance audit risks & common mistakes

Missing the 2-year late-submission window

EVFTA allows origin documents to be submitted up to 2 years from the declaration registration date (Circular 33/2023/TT-BTC) - after that, the refund right lapses.

Expired REX number or wrong exporter

Customs can verify REX numbers against the EU system; an error means the document is rejected, MFN is collected plus mis-declaration penalties under Decree 169/2026/NĐ-CP.

Transit that destroys origin

Splitting or repacking cargo in a third country without customs supervision → the direct-transport condition is lost.

Frequently asked questions about EVFTA

Do EU goods entering Vietnam need an EUR.1 C/O?
No. The EU → VN direction uses REX self-certified statements of origin. EUR.1 is the form Vietnam issues for exports to the EU (under Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT).
Can EVFTA origin documents be submitted late?
Yes. EVFTA (and UKVFTA) have a 2-year late-submission window from the declaration registration date under Circular 33/2023/TT-BTC - even after paying MFN you recover the difference if you supplement in time.
Where do I look up 2026 EVFTA rates?
The 2022–2027 schedule is promulgated in Decree 116/2022/NĐ-CP. Look up any HS code on Avenir’s tool - each code’s detail page shows the EVFTA row next to MFN.
What are the penalties for wrong EVFTA origin?
Duty difference reassessed, late-payment interest of 0.03%/day, and administrative mis-declaration penalties under Decree 169/2026/NĐ-CP (effective 01/07/2026). Amounts depend on the conduct - check eligibility before claiming the preference.

For EU exporters

Shipping from the EU to Vietnam

Everything above is written for the Vietnamese importer. If you are the EU exporter, three questions decide whether your buyer actually gets the preferential rate: which legal entity counts as the exporter, which origin document you are entitled to issue, and whether the goods stay unaltered on the way. All three are answered in Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT, in force since 10/05/2026, which replaced Circular 11/2020/TT-BCT.

Statement of origin from a registered exporter (REX)

A statement made out by an exporter registered in the EU electronic database and notified to Vietnam. This is the normal route in practice, and it works for a consignment of any value. Registration is done by the exporter with the customs authority of its own EU Member State - it is not something a Vietnamese broker can file on your behalf.

Điều 19.1.c Thông tư 14/2026/TT-BCT
Statement of origin under the EUR 6,000 threshold

Any exporter - registered or not - may make out a statement of origin for a consignment not exceeding EUR 6,000. An approved exporter under EU rules may do so for any value. This is the route to use for a first trial shipment while your REX registration is still in progress.

Điều 19.1.b + Điều 24 Thông tư 14/2026/TT-BCT
EUR.1 movement certificate

Listed in the circular, but NOT the route in use. The EU notified Vietnam that it applies the registered-exporter system under Article 15(1)(c) of the origin protocol - see Vietnamese customs guidance 5575/TCHQ-GSQL of 21/08/2020. Do not plan around obtaining an EUR.1 from an EU authority for a shipment to Vietnam; you will not get one.

Điều 19.1.a Thông tư 14/2026/TT-BCT

Which entity is the "exporter"?

  • The exporter is a person or company established in the exporting Party, exporting to the other Party, and able to prove the origin of the goods. Being able to evidence origin is part of the definition, not an afterthought.
  • The exporter may be the manufacturer or the party carrying out the export formalities - these do not have to be the same company.
  • The exporter need not be the seller who issues the invoice. Third-party invoicing is expressly allowed, and the seller may even be established outside the EVFTA parties.
  • The EU is a single Party. Goods manufactured in one Member State and exported from a central warehouse in another are not a cumulation problem - they are simply EU-originating goods exported from the EU.

Before the goods leave the EU

  1. 1
    Fix which entity is the exporter

    Decide whether the manufacturing company or the company handling the export formalities will make out the statement, and confirm that entity can evidence origin on request. Whichever you pick is the one that needs the registration (Điều 3.5).

  2. 2
    Check the product-specific rule for your HS line

    Origin is decided line by line - change of tariff classification, value content, or a specified process. Confirm the rule for your 8-digit code before you quote a duty-free price to the buyer.

  3. 3
    Use the prescribed wording, on a commercial document

    The declaration text comes from Annex VI of the circular in one of the permitted language versions. It goes on the invoice, delivery note or other commercial document - never on a separate form. Handwritten versions must be in ink and block capitals (Điều 24.2, 24.4).

  4. 4
    Do not put it on the bill of lading

    Transport documents such as a B/L or air waybill do not count as a commercial document for this purpose. A packing list, proforma invoice or delivery note does (Điều 24.3).

  5. 5
    Sign it by hand unless you are exempt

    The statement needs the exporter's handwritten signature. An exporter approved under EU rules may omit it, provided it has given its own authority a written undertaking accepting full responsibility for the document (Điều 24.5).

  6. 6
    Watch the 12-month validity

    The origin document is valid 12 months from the date it is issued in the exporting Member State, and must be submitted to Vietnamese customs within that window. A statement may also be issued retrospectively, provided it is presented in Vietnam no later than 2 years after the goods arrived (Điều 26.1, Điều 24.6).

  7. 7
    Keep the goods under customs supervision in any third country

    If the shipment transits or is stored outside the EVFTA parties, only preservation, labelling and marking are allowed, and splitting a consignment must happen under the supervision of the customs authority of the country where it is split. Otherwise origin is lost (Điều 17).

  8. 8
    Retain your records for at least 3 years

    The exporter keeps a copy of the statement and the supporting origin evidence for at least 3 years, in any retrievable and printable form (Điều 31, Điều 34). Do not confuse this with the 5 years your Vietnamese buyer must keep the customs dossier under Article 18 of the Customs Law 54/2014/QH13 - two different parties, two different clocks.

We manufacture in one EU country but ship from a central warehouse in another. Where do we register, and who is the exporter?
You register in the Member State where the exporting entity is established, with that country's customs authority - so if the German company handles the export, it registers in Germany, not in Sweden and not in Vietnam. The EU counts as a single Party under EVFTA, so moving finished goods between Member States before export is not a cumulation or origin question at all. What matters is that the entity making out the statement is established in the EU and can prove the origin of the goods (Điều 3.5). The manufacturing company's registration does not automatically cover a different legal entity that exports the goods.
We are not a registered exporter yet. Can we still ship under EVFTA?
Yes, for consignments not exceeding EUR 6,000. Any exporter may make out a statement of origin under that threshold without being registered (Điều 19.1.b). It is the standard way to run a first trial shipment while registration is in progress. Above that value you need to be a registered exporter, or the shipment falls back to the MFN rate. Note the threshold applies per consignment, not per year.
Does the invoice have to be issued by the exporter?
No. The circular expressly contemplates third-party invoicing: the exporter need not be the seller who issues the invoice for the consignment, and the seller may be established outside the EVFTA parties entirely (Điều 3.5). What cannot move is the requirement that the exporter making out the statement is established in the exporting Party and can prove origin.
Can we issue the statement of origin after the goods have shipped?
Yes. A statement may be made out retrospectively, provided it is presented in the importing Party no later than 2 years after the goods entered its territory (Điều 24.6). Separately, the document itself is valid for 12 months from issue (Điều 26.1). If your Vietnamese buyer has already cleared and paid MFN, the duty difference can still be recovered by supplementing the origin document within the late-submission window under Circular 33/2023/TT-BTC.
Our goods will be stored in a third country on the way to Vietnam. Does that break EVFTA origin?
Not by itself. Goods keep their origin through transit and storage as long as they are not altered - preservation in good condition, plus adding labels, marks or seals required by Vietnam, is permitted, and those operations must be under the supervision of the customs authority of the transit country. Splitting a consignment is allowed if done by or on behalf of the exporter and under customs supervision in the country where it is split. What destroys origin is repacking or processing outside customs control (Điều 17).
Can Avenir register our REX number for us?
No, and no Vietnamese broker can. Registration is done by the exporter with the competent authority of its own EU Member State - the Vietnamese side of the transaction has no standing in that process. What we can do is the part on this side: confirm the HS classification and the product-specific rule before you commit to a price, check the statement wording and the exporter details against what Vietnamese customs will accept, and flag the specialised-management or conformity requirements that apply to your goods on import - which for many products cost more time than the duty itself.

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