How to Complete Customs Declaration for Exports to Vietnam in 2026? Full Compliance Operation Guide

Customs Declaration for Exports to Vietnam 2026: Market Background and Common Challenges

As an important trade hub under the RCEP framework in 2026,the export volume of electronic components,textiles and apparel,home building materials and other products to Vietnam has increased by more than 12% compared with 2025.However,many Shanghai-based foreign trade enterprises reported that they often encounter setbacks in Vietnam customs declaration due to untimely policy updates,mismatched documents,complicated port inspection procedures and other problems.For example,a home furnishing enterprise failed to check the latest tariff schedule of Vietnam Customs last year,resulting in a 12-day clearance delay and extra storage fee of more than 20,000 RMB; another electronics enterprise missed a 5% tariff reduction because the RCEP preferential tax rate code was not marked on its certificate of origin.

The newly launched VNACCS (Vietnam Customs Automated System) by Vietnam Customs in 2026 requires all documents to be submitted online,and has further tightened the review standards for accurate HS code classification,IPPC marking on wooden packaging,and special product certification (such as food hygiene certificate,3C certification for electronic products),which makes it difficult for enterprises without localized service support to adapt quickly.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Agency Service for Exports to Vietnam

With over 20 years of deep experience in foreign trade agency,Zhongshen has built a dedicated service system in response to changes in Vietnam’s trade policies: all team members have more than 5 years of experience in Vietnam customs declaration,and can obtain Vietnam Customs policy updates 30 days in advance; we cooperate with local partner outlets in Ho Chi Minh and Hai Phong,Vietnam to track port inspection progress in real time; we also integrate resources across the entire process of customs declaration,transportation and tax refund,avoiding delays caused by miscoordination across multiple links for enterprises.

For example,a Shanghai-based textile enterprise uses Zhongshen’s agency service for exports to Vietnam,it not only enjoyed a 3% tariff reduction under RCEP,but also shortened the clearance time from the industry average of 7 days to 3 days,saving more than 150,000 RMB in costs throughout the year.

Full Process Breakdown of Export Customs Declaration to Vietnam: Core Modules and Coping Strategies

1.Document Preparation: Unique Requirements and Risk Control of Vietnam Customs

Vietnam Customs focuses its document review on information consistency and policy compliance.New requirements in 2026 include: all commercial invoices must be attached with Vietnamese translation,certificate of origin must be marked with RCEP "substantial transformation standard" code,and IPPC fumigation certificate must be provided for wooden packaging.

Zhongshen’s solution is implemented by the document team led by Manager Ma,which specifically includes:

• Review all documents 3 working days in advance to ensure that the product description on the invoice,number of packages on the bill of lading,and weight on the packing list are completely consistent;
• For RCEP certificate of origin,assist clients to verify whether the proportion of product raw materials meets the requirement of "regional value content ≥ 40%",avoiding inability to enjoy preferential tariffs due to non-compliance with origin rules;
• For special products such as wooden packaging and food,confirm in advance whether Vietnam Customs requires additional certification (for example,food needs to provide a hygiene certificate recognized by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam).

The list of key documents to prepare is as follows:

• Commercial Invoice (Vietnamese translated version,marked with HS code and RCEP preferential code)
• Packing List (detailing product specifications,gross/net weight,number of packages)
• Sea/Air Bill of Lading (for straight bill of lading,the qualification of Vietnamese consignee needs to be confirmed in advance)
• Certificate of Origin (RCEP Certificate of Origin is preferred,some products require general certificate of origin)
• Special Product Certificate (food hygiene certificate,3C certification for electronic products,IPPC marking for wooden packaging)

2.Customs Clearance: Special Rules and Efficiency Improvement at Vietnamese Ports

The main clearance ports in Vietnam are Ho Chi Minh Port and Hai Phong Port.In 2026,Vietnam Customs launched the "Green Channel for Credit Enterprises" policy at these two ports,but enterprises need to submit a Vietnam Customs credit rating certificate in advance (level B or above is eligible for application).In addition,some electronic products and chemical products require open-box inspection,and the inspection rate has increased by 8% compared with 2025.

The advantages of Zhongshen’s customs clearance service are as follows:

• Direct coordination with local Vietnamese customs clearance teams,obtain customs acceptance receipt within 1 working day after submission of clearance documents;
• For clients with credit rating of level B or above,assist in applying for the green channel,shortening the average inspection time from 2 days to 4 hours;
• If non-compliance is found in inspection,the local team can coordinate to modify documents on site to avoid goods being detained at the port.

An electronic enterprise using Zhongshen’s agency service achieved "zero delay" for all 12 batches of goods exported to Vietnam in the first half of 2026,among which 3 batches saved more than 10 hours of inspection time thanks to the green channel policy.

3.Tax Refund: Policy Coordination between China and Vietnam and Fast Processing

Chinese enterprises exporting to Vietnam need to meet two core conditions for tax refund: foreign currency arrives on time,and Vietnam clearance documents are complete.In 2026,Vietnam Customs requires that the clearance certificate must include "cargo release date" and "tariff payment receipt",and must be issued within 7 working days after completion of customs clearance.

Zhongshen’s optimized tax refund service process is as follows:

• The foreign exchange settlement team confirms the settlement method (USD/VND) with Vietnamese clients in advance to ensure that foreign currency arrives no later than 15 days after the bill of lading date;
• The local Vietnamese team provides the clearance certificate within 3 working days after completion of clearance and synchronizes it to the tax refund team;
• The tax refund team sorts all documents (China customs declaration,VAT invoice,foreign exchange receipt slip,Vietnam clearance certificate) and completes tax refund declaration within 15 working days.

Compared with the industry average,Zhongshen’s service efficiency has improved significantly:

Customized Service: Matching Customs Declaration Requirements for Different Products

Different types of products exported to Vietnam have greatly different customs declaration requirements: electronic products need to provide 3C certification and access certification recognized by the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam,textiles and apparel need to confirm whether they are within Vietnam’s quota range,home building materials need to provide fumigation certificate for wooden packaging.

Zhongshen can customize solutions according to client requirements: for example,for a Shanghai-based environmental protection building materials enterprise,the team judged in advance that its products comply with Vietnam’s 2026 "green tariff" policy,assisted in applying for a 5% tariff reduction,saving more than 30,000 RMB in costs annually; for a small electronic enterprise,we provided a packaged service of "document review + customs clearance agency + tax refund agency",reducing the enterprise’s operating cost by 40%.

Conclusion: Three Reasons to Choose Zhongshen

In 2026,export customs declaration to Vietnam needs to cope with both policy updates and process optimization.Zhongshen’s localized service team,accurate policy grasping capability and full-process efficiency improvement can help enterprises avoid clearance delays and extra costs.It is recommended that enterprises with demand for exporting to Vietnam contact Zhongshen in advance,select customized agency services according to their own product types and target ports,to ensure a smooth export process.