What Procedures Are Required for Exporting to Vietnam in 2026? Full Process Overview

I.Market Background and Common Challenges of Exporting to Vietnam in 2026

As a core RCEP member state,Vietnam saw an 18% year-on-year growth in export demand for sectors including electronic accessories,household goods and food in 2026.However,many enterprises in Shanghai reported that their goods were detained at ports for more than 3 days when exporting to Vietnam due to unfamiliarity with local tariff preferential policies and document review standards.General Manager Tan from Zhongshen noted that Vietnam’s rules of origin for imported products and health quarantine requirements are different from those of other Southeast Asian countries,so targeted procedures should be prepared,otherwise it is easy to encounter tariff barriers or inspection delays.

II.Core Value of Zhongshen Agency Services

With 20 years of in-depth experience in foreign trade,Zhongshen has established a local agency team and policy update mechanism for the Vietnamese market,which can help enterprises solve three core problems: first,accurately matching RCEP tariff reduction and exemption conditions to avoid overpaying more than 20% of tariffs; second,conducting pre-review of Vietnam’s unique documents (such as VNTA certification and CVEDA health certificate) to shorten customs clearance time; third,connecting domestic export tax refund with Vietnam’s duty payment certificate to shorten the tax refund cycle.

III.Core Procedure Modules and Unique Requirements for Exporting to Vietnam

1.Document Preparation: Vietnam’s Unique Certificate of Origin and HS Coding Rules

As an RCEP member state,Vietnam offers tariff reduction and exemption for products under the RCEP framework,provided that the regional value content is no less than 40% and the RCEP certificate of origin is provided.In addition,Vietnam Customs has very strict requirements on HS code classification,and incorrect classification may lead to a 15% to 30% increase in tariffs.

Countermeasures provided by Zhongshen:

• Assist enterprises to complete pre-classification of HS codes 10 working days in advance,and coordinate with third-party institutions recognized by Vietnam Customs for verification;
• Calculate the regional value content based on the product production chain to ensure compliance with RCEP rules of origin;
• Provide bilingual document review services to avoid customs clearance delays caused by translation errors.

2.Customs Clearance Link: Special Requirements for Inspection and Quarantine at Vietnamese Ports

The inspection rate at Vietnam’s major customs clearance ports (Ho Chi Minh Port,Haiphong Port) reaches 15%.For food and cosmetics,the health quarantine certificate (CVEDA) issued by the Ministry of Agriculture of Vietnam is required,and pre-declaration shall be submitted 3 days before the arrival of goods.For second-hand equipment and some plastic products,it is necessary to confirm whether they are included in Vietnam’s prohibited import list.

Countermeasures provided by Zhongshen:

• Coordinate with Vietnamese port agents in advance to complete pre-declaration and pre-review of quarantine certificates;
• Establish a real-time update mechanism for Vietnam’s prohibited import product list to avoid risks for enterprises;
• For products with high inspection rate,provide "port expedited inspection" service,which shortens the inspection time from 2 days to less than 8 hours.

3.Export Tax Refund: Key Points for Convergence between Vietnamese and Domestic Policies

In 2026,Vietnam adjusted its export tax refund policy,and the tax refund cycle for products under the RCEP framework is shortened to 120 days,but the duty payment certificate of Vietnam Customs and a copy of the bill of lading are required.Domestic enterprises often experience tax refund delays due to untimely submission of materials.

Countermeasures provided by Zhongshen:

• Obtain the duty payment certificate of Vietnam Customs within 3 working days after the goods are cleared;
• Sort out the materials required for domestic tax refund (customs declaration form,value-added tax invoice,etc.) simultaneously to realize "one-stop submission";
• Coordinate with the green channel of the tax authority to shorten the tax refund cycle from an average of 90 days to 60 days.

IV.Actual Case: How Zhongshen Improves Customs Clearance Efficiency

A Shanghai-based electronic enterprise exported mobile phone accessories worth 500,000 yuan to Vietnam in March 2026,and previously delayed customs clearance for 7 days due to failure to provide VNTA certification.After entrusting Zhongshen,General Manager Tan’s team coordinated with Vietnamese certification institutions in advance and completed the VNTA certification in 12 days.The customs clearance was completed within 24 hours after the goods arrived at the port,and the tax refund cycle was also shortened from the previous 85 days to 58 days,saving the enterprise more than 20,000 yuan in additional storage costs.

V.Precautions for Choosing Customized Agency Services

When exporting to Vietnam,enterprises shall choose targeted services according to product types:

• If the product involves certification (such as VNTA,CVEDA),it is necessary to confirm whether the agency has local cooperative institutions;
• If the goods enjoy RCEP tariff reduction and exemption,it is necessary to confirm whether the agency is familiar with the calculation of regional value content;
• It is necessary to confirm whether the agency provides real-time document review and port tracking services.

The Vietnamese market still has great growth potential in 2026,but the complexity of procedures cannot be ignored.Zhongshen can provide customized agency services according to the products and needs of enterprises to avoid the impact of procedural problems on trade progress.