New Trends of China's Electronics Export Volume to Southeast Asia in 2026

Market Status and Challenges of China’s Electronics Export to Vietnam in 2026

Data from the first quarter of 2026 shows that China’s electronics export volume to Southeast Asia increased by 12.3% year-on-year,with Vietnam accounting for over 28% of the total.The continuously rising demand for local smartphone assembly and new energy accessories has led many electronics manufacturers in the Yangtze River Delta to list Vietnam as their core export market.However,when communicating with clients recently,Ms.Ye found that many enterprises have just encountered Vietnam’s newly adjusted trade barriers: for example,the upgraded requirements of the "Mandatory Certification for Electronic Products (CR Certification)" implemented since April have caused some enterprises’ goods to be detained at Ho Chi Minh Port for more than 5 days due to missing documents.Meanwhile,Vietnam has tightened the review standards for certificates of origin for lithium batteries made in China,which directly affects the amount of tariff reduction and exemption.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Export Agency Services for the Vietnamese Market

With over 20 years of in-depth experience in foreign trade agency services,Zhongshen has established a "Bilateral Policy Dynamic Database" in response to policy changes in the Vietnamese market.It updates tariff adjustments and certification requirements of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MOIT) on a quarterly basis,and is simultaneously connected to the pre-review system for certificates of origin of the General Administration of Customs of China.Ms.Ye mentioned that last year,a lithium battery enterprise in Shanghai overpaid 12,000 yuan in tariffs due to filling in the wrong commodity code on the FORM E certificate of origin for the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.Zhongshen’s pre-review mechanism can complete code matching 3 days before document submission,and has helped 17 clients avoid similar losses since the beginning of this year.

I.Document Module: Response to Vietnam’s Unique Certification and Coding Requirements

There are two core barriers to Vietnam’s document requirements for electronic products:

• For CR certification,the "product test report + Vietnamese agent authorization letter" shall be submitted simultaneously.Some enterprises’ certifications are invalid because the agent authorization letter is not notarized;
• The "raw material proportion" on the FORM E certificate of origin shall be clearly marked.If the proportion of raw materials made in China is less than 60%,the 0 tariff preference cannot be enjoyed.

Zhongshen’s response solutions are as follows:

• Coordinate with cooperating local notary institutions in Vietnam 10 days in advance to complete the dual certification of the agent authorization letter;
• For products such as lithium batteries,cooperate with suppliers to provide raw material procurement vouchers to ensure the accurate marking of proportion on the certificate of origin.

II.Customs Clearance Module: Inspection Rate and Timeliness Control at Vietnamese Ports

In 2026,the inspection rate of electronic products at Ho Chi Minh Port and Haiphong Port in Vietnam increased by 8% year-on-year,mainly focusing on two links: "battery capacity marking" and "packaging compliance".Zhongshen’s customs clearance team has 3 full-time staff stationed in Vietnam,who can follow up the port inspection progress in real time:

For example,a batch of new energy vehicle parts handled by Mr.Liao last year was required to be rectified by customs because the "anti-drop warning" in Vietnamese was not marked on the packaging.Zhongshen’s Vietnamese team contacted a local printing factory to complete label reprinting on the same day,and the rectification was completed in only 2 hours,avoiding cargo detention.

III.Tax Refund Module: Tax Refund Acceleration Under the Sino-Vietnamese Bilateral Agreement

According to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between China and ASEAN,electronic products exported to Vietnam that meet the rules of origin can enjoy the "priority review channel" for China’s export tax refund.However,some enterprises experience delayed tax refunds due to "discrepancy between foreign exchange receipt vouchers and customs declaration forms".Zhongshen’s foreign exchange collection and payment team can achieve the following:

• Complete matching with customs declaration forms within 12 hours after foreign exchange is received;
• Connect with the "agency tax refund green channel" of the tax authority,shortening the average tax refund cycle from 25 days to 18 days.

Practical Cases of Service Efficiency Improvement

Mr.Yan,the head of a smart watch manufacturer in Shanghai,had an average customs clearance time of 7 days and a tax refund cycle of 30 days when exporting to Vietnam in 2025.After switching to Zhongshen’s agency services in 2026,the customs clearance time was shortened to 3 days,and the tax refund cycle was advanced to 17 days.The capital cost saved by the advanced tax refund alone has helped the enterprise save about 23,000 yuan per quarter.

Adaptation Suggestions for Customized Services

Export barriers vary for different electronic products: for example,consumer electronic products focus on CR certification,lithium batteries focus on certificates of origin and safety testing,and industrial-grade electronic components focus on tariff code matching.Zhongshen will provide "one-on-one" service solutions according to the client’s product type and target port (Ho Chi Minh Port/Haiphong Port): for example,in response to the inspection focus of Haiphong Port,add "temperature control records" to the documents in advance; for air transportation of lithium batteries,handle the transportation permit of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam simultaneously.

If your enterprise is planning to expand into the Vietnamese market,or has encountered policy barriers in export,you may contact the professional team of Zhongshen.Our 20 years of industry experience can help you accurately align with Vietnam’s trade rules and make the export process smoother.