High-risk products and goods must be pre-inspected and declared to be in conformity.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that high-risk products and goods must be pre-inspected and declared to be in conformity before being released to the market.

On the morning of May 10, continuing the ninth session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall a number of contents with different opinions of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Technical Standards and Regulations.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science , Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy reports at the meeting. Photo: media.quochoi.vn

Reporting on the reception, explanation and revision of the draft Law on conformity declaration, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy said that the draft Law has added provisions on the principle that each product, commodity, service, process or environment is only regulated by one unified technical regulation nationwide, except in cases of decentralization and delegation of authority according to the provisions of law; at the same time, it adds provisions on cases where conformity declaration is not required. Such provisions will overcome the situation of having to simultaneously carry out two procedures of conformity declaration and corresponding requirements and management measures in specialized laws.

The Draft Law has added regulations on conformity declaration based on the results of conformity certification by a recognized or registered certification organization in accordance with the provisions of law to limit the need for repeated testing and certification, which is costly for businesses.

In addition, the draft Law has been revised to supplement provisions on mutual recognition agreements, allowing unilateral recognition of conformity assessment results of foreign organizations to facilitate export and import of goods, in accordance with international practices and new generation FTA commitments.

Discussing at the meeting, many National Assembly deputies said that the testing, certification, and declaration of conformity for products and goods in many cases are repeated, causing costs, increasing time for businesses, hindering and delaying export activities; not consistent with the policy of reducing compliance costs for businesses and the policy in Resolution No. 68-NQ/TU dated May 4, 2025 of the Politburo on private economic development.

Delegate Nguyen Duy Thanh (Ca Mau Delegation) speaks at the discussion. Photo: media.quochoi.vn

Among them, delegate Nguyen Duy Thanh (Ca Mau delegation), delegate Nguyen Thi Kim Be (Kien Giang delegation), delegate Tran Thi Van (Bac Ninh delegation) said that it is necessary to abolish the regulation on conformity declaration for some products and goods in group 2. "No country has regulations requiring manufacturers and traders to declare the conformity of products and goods before putting them on the market," the delegates shared the opinion.

Delegates said that the regulation on conformity declaration causes waste of time and costs for businesses, reduces the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, causes burdens for domestic consumers; is not consistent with the policy of shifting from "pre-inspection" to "post-inspection"; makes trading partners see this as a "tariff barrier", making it difficult to expand the market.

“This leads to businesses “coping” by taking the best samples for testing but mass producing with raw materials and processes that are not strictly controlled. The consequence is that even though there is a certificate of conformity, the quality is not guaranteed when it reaches consumers,” said delegate Nguyen Thi Kim Be, referring to the recent discovery of 600 types of “fake” milk.

In addition, delegate Nguyen Thi Suu (Hue City Delegation) said that it is necessary to consider adjusting regulations on conformity declaration. According to the delegate, conformity declaration is a basic tool to control the quality of goods before they are put on the market, while ensuring the safety of products, goods, processes, and the environment. From this perspective, the delegate suggested reviewing and updating the system of standards quickly, harmonizing with international standards to increase the effectiveness of application and integration; improving the conformity declaration process towards electronicization, shortening procedures, creating convenience for businesses; promoting "post-inspection", strengthening substantive supervision...

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung explains and clarifies the opinions of National Assembly deputies. Photo: media.quochoi.vn

Explaining and clarifying the regulations on conformity declaration, citing the case of "pho noodles containing formalin", or most recently the case of "fake milk" and fake, poor quality functional foods, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung said that if there is no conformity certification tool for management and supervision, it will affect and pose risks to the safety and health of people, the community and the environment.

“The problem is what types of products we manage, how much we manage them, and how we manage them,” said the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that it is necessary to change the method of conformity certification, in which high-risk products and goods must be pre-inspected and declared to be conformant before being put on the market.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/san-pham-hang-hoa-rui-ro-cao-bat-buoc-phai-tien-kiem-cong-bo-hop-quy-701813.html