For agricultural products, seeds, plant-derived goods, wooden packaging materials and pesticides, the main operational risk is often not freight cost but incorrect identification of quarantine status, missing phytosanitary certificates, missing import quarantine permits or reliance on an outdated legal text. This article reorganizes Law No. 41/2013/QH13 from a B2B logistics and customs-compliance perspective.

Operational reference for importers, exporters, logistics, procurement, legal, compliance, operation and documentation teams. This English version is for operational reference only and is not an official legal translation.

QUICK SUMMARY

Item	Operational note
Scope	The Law regulates prevention and control of plant pests, plant quarantine, pesticide management and state management in these fields.
Effective date and updates	Law No. 41/2013/QH13 was issued on 25 November 2013 and became effective on 1 January 2015. It must now be checked against its partial expiry, amendments under Law 35/2018/QH14, Law 146/2025/QH15 and consolidated text 69/VBHN-VPQH dated 24 March 2026.
Affected businesses and goods	Importers/exporters of agricultural products, seeds, plants/plant products, wooden packaging materials and pesticides; logistics providers, warehouses, customs brokers, EPE/FDI factories, trading companies and distributors.
Immediate actions	Check the list of regulated quarantine articles; verify import quarantine permit requirements; control the Phytosanitary Certificate, labels, catalogue/datasheet, wooden packaging, C/O and quarantine schedule before ETA.

Legal-status note: For shipments in 2026 onward, the consolidated text 69/VBHN-VPQH and current implementing documents should be checked before using any provision in official files.

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Field	Content
Document title	Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine
Document number	41/2013/QH13
Issuing authority	National Assembly of Viet Nam
Signer	National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung
Issued date	25 November 2013
Effective date	1 January 2015
Status	Recorded as partially expired in the official legal database; check Law 35/2018/QH14, Law 146/2025/QH15 and consolidated text 69/VBHN-VPQH.
Regulatory scope	Plant pest prevention and control, plant quarantine, pesticide management, and state management of plant protection and quarantine.
Applicable subjects	Domestic and foreign organizations and individuals engaged in plant protection and quarantine activities in Viet Nam.

KEY PROVISIONS TO NOTE

Topic	Relevant provisions	Operational impact	Documents to check
Regulatory scope and definitions	Articles 1, 2, 3	Defines plant protection, plant quarantine, quarantine articles and pesticides.	Product name, use, processing status, packaging and import/export purpose.
Prohibited acts	Articles 4, 13	Controls import, production and trading of infected plants or unauthorized/prohibited pesticides.	Product lists, pesticide lists, COA/test report, labels and origin.
Quarantine-article lists	Article 25	Goods must be checked against current lists, not merely by commercial name.	HS, description, processing form, wooden packaging, catalogue/datasheet.
Import conditions	Articles 26, 28, 29	Phytosanitary certificate, possible import quarantine permit and quarantine completion before clearance.	Phytosanitary Certificate, permit, customs declaration, packing list, B/L/AWB and inspection plan.
Quarantine procedure	Articles 33, 34	Quarantine scheduling, certification or treatment/re-export/destruction if requirements are not met.	Quarantine registration, inspection location, container/seal and trucking plan.
Pesticide management	Articles 48, 67, 70, 71	Pesticides are conditional goods managed by lists, permits, packaging, labelling and quality controls.	Pesticide lists, import permit, Vietnamese label, SDS/COA and transport conditions.

AFFECTED BUSINESSES / GOODS

Group	Affected parties	Affected stage	Documents to check	Triggering condition
Importers	Importers, trading companies, distributors, factories/EPE/FDI importing plant goods or pesticides	Pre-import, quarantine registration, customs declaration, clearance, warehousing	Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, Phytosanitary Certificate, catalogue, original label, C/O	Goods are quarantine articles, pesticides or contain regulated wooden packaging.
Exporters	Exporters of agricultural goods, plants and plant products	Before ETD, quarantine at facility/border gate, certificate issuance	Contract, packing instruction, destination-country requirements, phytosanitary certificate	Destination country or Vietnamese list requires plant quarantine.
Logistics providers	Forwarders, customs brokers, warehouses and trucking teams	Pre-alert, D/O, quarantine coordination, cargo release and port/warehouse handling	B/L/AWB, arrival notice, booking, D/O, container/seal, quarantine schedule	Quarantine files are incomplete before ETA or certificate information is inconsistent.
Legal / Compliance / Procurement	Legal, compliance, procurement, docs and operation teams	Contracting, document control, Incoterms and certificate responsibility	PO/contract, Incoterms, origin certificate, labels, regulatory lists	Certificate responsibility is not locked between buyer, seller and forwarder.

IMPACT ON IMPORT-EXPORT / LOGISTICS OPERATIONS

Customs declaration

HS, product policy, quarantine lists, import quarantine permit and phytosanitary documentation must be confirmed before declaration.

Commercial documents

Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, C/O, phytosanitary certificate, catalogue/datasheet and labels must match on product name, quantity, weight, origin, batch/model and container information.

Timeline and cost

Late quarantine filing can generate demurrage, detention and storage. Treatment, re-export or destruction must be considered where goods fail quarantine.

Post-clearance compliance

Quarantine files, permits, treatment records, labels and quality documents should be retained for audit and post-clearance review.

Type	Document	Authority	Date / effect	Role	Notes
Law	Law 41/2013/QH13	National Assembly	Issued 25 Nov 2013, effective 1 Jan 2015	Base law on plant quarantine and pesticide management	Partially expired; use consolidated text.
Amending law	Law 35/2018/QH14	National Assembly	Effective 1 Jan 2019	Amends planning-related provisions	Check consolidated text.
Amending law	Law 146/2025/QH15	National Assembly	Effective 1 Jan 2026	Amends 15 agriculture and environment laws, including this law	Critical for 2026 files.
Consolidated text	69/VBHN-VPQH	Office of the National Assembly	Issued 24 Mar 2026	Consolidated text after amendments	Recommended for current citation.
Decree	Decree 116/2014/ND-CP	Government	Effective 18 Jan 2015	Detailed implementation	Check amendments at application time.
Circular	Circular 14/2024/TT-BNNPTNT	MARD	Effective 15 Dec 2024	Lists of quarantine articles and articles subject to pest-risk analysis	Replaces Circular 30/2014/TT-BNNPTNT.
Circular	Circular 25/2024/TT-BNNPTNT	MARD	Effective 30 Jan 2025	Permitted/prohibited pesticide lists	Check active ingredients and trade names.

VIEW / DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS

Since the Law has been amended and consolidated, the original law, legal-status data and consolidated text should be checked together.

View original document Download consolidated text 69/VBHN-VPQH Check National Legal Database

FULL TEXT / LEGAL TEXT FOR CHECKING

Editorial note: This website article does not replace the official Vietnamese legal text. For legal filings, use the Government PDF/DOC and consolidated text 69/VBHN-VPQH dated 24 March 2026.

Open key statutory text and provisions for operational checking

LAW ON PLANT PROTECTION AND QUARANTINE
No. 41/2013/QH13

Issued: 25 November 2013. Effective: 1 January 2015.

Articles 1-3: Scope, applicable subjects and definitions, including plant quarantine, quarantine articles, pest-risk analysis and pesticides.

Articles 25-29: Lists of quarantine articles, import requirements, import quarantine permits where pest-risk analysis is required, and the principle that regulated quarantine articles are cleared only after plant quarantine procedures are completed.

Articles 31-34: Export, transit, quarantine procedure and treatment of quarantine articles, including fumigation, heat treatment, irradiation, re-export or destruction where applicable.

Article 47: Rights and obligations of owners of quarantine articles, including information provision, inspection support, preservation during quarantine and compliance with treatment decisions.

Articles 48, 67, 70 and 71: Pesticides are conditional goods managed by lists, permits, packaging, labels and quality controls.

Articles 76-77: Effective date and implementing responsibilities.

BUSINESS CHECKLIST

Review group	What to check	Documents / data	Risk if missed
Legal status	Effective date, partial expiry, consolidated text and amendments	Official legal database, Government portal, 69/VBHN-VPQH	Wrong legal citation or outdated rule
Shipment file	Product name, quantity, weight, origin, container/seal, batch/model	Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, C/O, catalogue, label	Document discrepancy and customs query
Product policy	Quarantine list, import quarantine permit, pesticide list	Circular 14/2024/TT-BNNPTNT, Circular 25/2024/TT-BNNPTNT	Hold, treatment, re-export or destruction
Post-clearance duties	Keep permits, certificates, treatment records and labels	Shipment file and quarantine result	Difficult audit/post-clearance explanation
Operational risk	DEM/DET/storage, delayed delivery, treatment/re-export/destruction	ETA/ETD, booking, D/O, quarantine plan	Unplanned logistics cost and project delay

TECHNICAL TERMS

Plant quarantine

Activities to prevent, detect and control regulated quarantine pests and exotic harmful organisms.

Quarantine article

Plants, plant products, means of production/storage/transport or other articles capable of carrying regulated pests.

Phytosanitary Certificate

A certificate issued by a competent authority, usually critical for plant-related import/export shipments.

Pest-risk analysis

Assessment of biological, scientific and economic risks to determine quarantine measures.

Pesticides

Conditional goods managed by lists, permits, labels, packaging and quality requirements.

DEM/DET/Storage

Demurrage, detention and storage costs caused by delayed release, documents or quarantine issues.

FAQ

1. When did this Law become effective?

Law 41/2013/QH13 became effective on 1 January 2015, but its partial-expiry status and consolidated text should now be checked.

2. Can in-transit cargo continue under old rules?

Check the filing date, customs declaration date, implementing circular and transitional provisions. Do not assume automatically.

3. Are all plant-origin goods subject to quarantine?

No absolute answer should be given. Check the current quarantine list, processing form, packaging and shipment purpose.

4. Does this Law change HS, duties or C/O?

It does not function as a tariff schedule, but it affects product policy and clearance conditions. HS, duties and C/O must be checked separately.

5. Can quarantine articles be cleared before quarantine completion?

Under Article 29, regulated quarantine articles are cleared only after import plant quarantine procedures are completed.

6. When is an import quarantine permit required?

Where goods are on the list subject to pest-risk analysis or current implementing rules require one.

GIẢI PHÁP TỪ TGIMEX

For shipments affected by plant-protection and quarantine rules, the focus is not only customs declaration but coordinated control of documents, regulatory lists and quarantine timing before ETA/ETD.

Legal review before ETA

Check the law, consolidated text, quarantine lists, pesticide lists, permits and certificate obligations.

Commercial document lock

Match Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, C/O, phytosanitary certificate, labels and container/seal data.

Customs & quarantine coordination

Build a timeline for quarantine registration, cargo release, trucking and on-site inspection.

Post-clearance file retention

Keep certificates, permits, treatment records and evidence for audit and post-clearance compliance.

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