This Circular provides for herbal ingredient trading, including export, import, wholesaling, retailing of herbal ingredients, and herbal ingredient preservation services. It applies to enterprises, cooperatives, households and individuals (hereinafter referred to as facilities) engaged in herbal ingredient trading and herbal ingredient trading authorities in Vietnam.

According to the Circular’s definition, “raw herbal ingredients” are natural herbal ingredients derived from plants, animals, minerals and may be used for medicines without undergoing any processing, and “herbal ingredients” are natural materials derived from plants, animals, minerals that satisfy standards for medicine ingredients of Vietnam's pharmacopoeia.

This Circular becomes effective  since March 06, 2016 and annuls the regulations on export and import of herbal ingredients in Circular No. 47/2010/TT-BYT dated December 29, 2010 and Circular No. 38/2013/TT-BYT dated November 15, 2013.