Vietnam Local Customs Brokerage Export Process and Notes

Market Background and Common Challenges of Vietnam Export Customs Clearance

As a core member of RCEP,Vietnam saw continuous restructuring of its manufacturing supply chain in 2026,and its import demand for Chinese goods including electronic products,building materials and agricultural products increased by about 25% year-on-year.However,many Chinese export enterprises report that there are still obvious pain points in the Vietnam customs clearance link: On one hand,the HS code revised by Vietnam Customs in 2025 is quite different from China’s HS code,and about 30% of enterprises have encountered customs clearance delay due to wrong classification.On the other hand,the communication cost with local Vietnam customs brokers is high,and some unqualified agencies may even cause compliance risks,with port detention fee reaching 100-300 US dollars per day.

Core Value of Zhongshen’s Vietnam Export Agency Service

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the Vietnam customs clearance market for more than 10 years.Leveraging the linkage advantage between our Shanghai headquarters and local teams in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi,Vietnam,we provide customized services in accordance with the latest 2026 Vietnam customs policies.Manager Tang introduced that the core value of Zhongshen lies in "proactively avoiding policy barriers + rapid response from local resources",helping enterprises solve all-round problems from document preparation to tax refund,and avoiding losses caused by unfamiliarity with Vietnam’s customs clearance rules.

1.Document Preparation and Verification: Adapt to Vietnam’s 2025 Version HS Code Requirements

The core document requirements implemented by Vietnam Customs in 2026 include: All goods must provide Electronic Certificate of Origin (ECO) and pass RCEP rule verification,electronic products need to additionally provide Declaration of Conformity (DoC) from Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade,and commercial invoices must include Vietnamese translation and the latest HS code.If documents are missing or incorrect,enterprises may face a fine of 1-3% of the goods value and 7-15 days of port detention.

Zhongshen Solutions:

• The document team checks Vietnam’s 2025 version HS code 3 days in advance,provides HS code pre-classification service to avoid classification errors
• Provides bilingual document translation,all documents go through 3 rounds of verification (compliance,completeness,translation accuracy)
• Assists enterprises to complete ECO electronic verification to ensure compliance with RCEP rules of origin

2.Local Vietnam Customs Clearance Operation: Connect with Customs Certified Brokers for Rapid Inspection

In 2026,Vietnam Customs implements "classified supervision".The inspection rate of high-risk goods such as food and cosmetics increased by 15% compared with 2025,and only agencies holding "General Administration of Customs of Vietnam certification qualification" are allowed to handle customs clearance.Some enterprises have had goods detained at the port for more than 10 days due to failure to prepare inspection documents in advance.

Zhongshen Solutions:

• Manager Qiu from the Hanoi team directly connects with Vietnam Customs inspection department,and submits product inspection reports,packaging instructions and other required documents 3 days in advance
• All customs clearance brokers are certified by the General Administration of Customs of Vietnam to ensure operational compliance
• Establishes a "Zhongshen-Vietnam Customs" rapid communication channel,shortening inspection duration from the industry average of 5 days to within 3 days

3.Export Tax Refund Linkage: Obtain Vietnam Customs Clearance Certificate (Form C8) Synchronously

After Chinese enterprises export to Vietnam,they need to submit the Form C8 issued by Vietnam Customs to Chinese tax authorities within 30 days,otherwise the tax refund will be delayed for more than 30 days.Normally,the acquisition cycle of Form C8 is 5-7 days,and some enterprises cannot obtain it due to incomplete documents.

Zhongshen Solutions:

• Connected with Vietnam Customs data system,we obtain the electronic version of Form C8 within 24 hours after goods clearance
• Submit tax refund documents to Chinese tax authorities synchronously,shortening the tax refund cycle from the conventional 15 days to 8-10 days
• Provides special consulting services for the linkage policy of tariff reduction and tax refund under RCEP

Improvement of Customs Clearance Efficiency and Tax Refund Speed by Agency Service

Data from 120 export-to-Vietnam enterprises served by Zhongshen in 2025 shows that through customized agency services,the customs clearance approval rate reaches 98%,and the average customs clearance duration is shortened from the industry average of 5 days to 2 days; the tax refund cycle is shortened by 40% compared with the industry average,helping enterprises save about 15% of capital cost.

The building materials enterprise of Mr.Ran exported tiles to Vietnam in 2026.Previously,wrong HS classification led to 7 days of customs clearance delay,resulting in 2100 USD of port detention fee.After cooperating with Zhongshen’s agency,HS pre-classification was completed in advance,customs clearance duration was shortened to 3 days,tax refund arrived 10 days earlier,and capital turnover efficiency increased by 20%.

Difference Comparison of Vietnam Export Customs Clearance Services

Customized Services Adapt to Different Products and Markets

For different export products,Zhongshen provides customized services: we assist with DoC application in advance for electronic products; we connect with Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture for quarantine certificates for agricultural products; we verify compliance with Vietnam construction standards for building materials.For different markets in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City,Hanoi,Hai Phong),local teams can provide on-site docking and on-site support.

If you have demand for Vietnam export customs clearance,you can choose Zhongshen’s customized agency service according to your own products and target markets,avoid policy barriers and operational risks,and improve export efficiency.