Remaining-condition assessment of used machinery

Industrial projects may involve relocating complete plants or machinery between countries. Used equipment can raise questions about safety, fuel and energy consumption and environmental performance. ITVC Global provides used-equipment condition assessment services, outlined below.

Service scope

• Review equipment documents, including operation and maintenance manuals, catalogues, user guides and inspection records.
• Inspect and assess the remaining condition of used equipment using the criteria and procedure applicable to the equipment and the purpose of the assessment. The original article referred to the procedure in Decision 57/1999/QD-TDC.

Checking applicable requirements

The source cites documents from 1997–2014. The references and criteria below are retained as historical material, not as a current legal checklist. For an import or inspection appointment, check the legislation in force, the body’s designated scope and the competent authority’s requirements at the time of the transaction.

Official references for checking used-equipment import requirements include Decision 18/2019/QD-TTg and its amendment, Decision 28/2022/QD-TTg. Also check subsequent amendments and the rules applicable when the transaction is carried out.

Decision 18/2019/QD-TTg

Decision 28/2022/QD-TTg

Legal references in the original article

• Decision 491/1998/QD-BKHCNMT dated 29 April 1998, issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.
• Decision 2019/QD-BKHCNMT dated 1 December 1997, on general technical requirements for imports of used machinery and equipment.
• Decree 12/2006/ND-CP detailing implementation of provisions of the Commercial Law.
• Circular 20/2014/TT-BKHCN on imports of used machinery, equipment and technological lines.
• Decision 57/1999/QD-TDC issuing a provisional technical appraisal procedure for used equipment.

Inspection-body criteria reproduced from the original article

1. An organisation legally established with a function covering quality inspection of machinery, equipment and technology.
2. Inspection capability meeting the relevant edition of TCVN ISO/IEC 17020 or ISO/IEC 17020.
3. At least two inspectors meeting these conditions:
   • A university degree or higher and competence appropriate to the inspection field.
   • At least three years of experience in the relevant field.
   • An inspection certificate for the field where legally required.
4. Quality-assessment methods and inspection procedures for machinery, equipment and technological lines approved by the organisation’s management.
5. For a foreign inspection body selected to inspect equipment in the exporting country, the source listed:
   • Registration to provide machinery, equipment and technology inspection in its home country.
   • Accreditation to the relevant edition of ISO/IEC 17020, issued by a legally recognised accreditation body participating in ILAC and/or APLAC, using the historical organisation names in the source.
6. Independent, objective and scientifically based inspection, with legal responsibility for the accuracy of the results.