What Are the Common Export Trade Terms? A Comprehensive Guide to Core Types

In 2026,the Vietnamese electronic consumer goods market continues to heat up.In the first half of the year alone,Shanghai’s exports of smartphone accessories and smart home devices to Vietnam saw an 18% year-on-year growth.However,many Shanghai-based trading companies report that selecting the correct export trade terms directly impacts Vietnam’s customs clearance speed and costs.For example,last year,Mr.Ji’s company mistakenly chose FOB terms and was forced to bear nearly 20,000 RMB in additional port detention charges in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s new tariff regulations implemented in 2026 require that the trade terms of all imported goods must clearly state the "risk transfer point" on the bill of lading and invoice.Otherwise,the customs clearance delay rate will reach 35%.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the Vietnamese market for over 10 years,and can accurately match trade terms for different electronic products to help clients avoid policy barriers.

1.Core Adaptation Modules for Export Trade Terms in the Vietnamese Market

1.Documentation Module: Vietnam’s Unique "Risk Transfer Certificate" Requirement

Vietnam Customs’ 2026 new regulations require that if the trade terms are FOB or CIF,an additional "Risk Transfer Confirmation Letter" must be provided,which is a document dividing the liability for cargo damage after the goods pass over the ship’s rail at the port of shipment.Many enterprises have delayed their document review from 3 days to 7 days due to failing to submit this document.

Zhongshen’s Solutions:

• Manager Qin’s team will review all documents 1 week in advance to ensure that the information on the "Risk Transfer Confirmation Letter" is fully consistent with that on the bill of lading and invoice;
• Connect with local Vietnamese customs clearance agents to synchronize electronic documents and achieve "pre-review",reducing the time needed for on-site document supplementation;
• For the "3C Certification" requirement for electronic products,embed a QR code with the certification number in the documents,allowing Vietnam Customs to scan and verify directly,improving review speed by 40%.

2.Customs Clearance Module: "Trade Term-linked Inspection" at Vietnamese Ports

In 2026,the Port of Ho Chi Minh and Port of Haiphong in Vietnam implemented a dual inspection mechanism of "trade terms + commodity code": if the trade terms are EXW,it is necessary to inspect whether the goods have completed export customs declaration; if the trade terms are DAP,it is necessary to inspect the warehouse contract at the destination.Last year,Ms.Shi’s company failed to provide the Shanghai customs declaration under EXW terms,was detained for 5 days during inspection,and incurred 12,000 RMB in port detention charges.

Zhongshen’s Solutions:

• Establish a database of Vietnamese port inspection requirements,marking high-frequency inspection items for different trade terms.For example,DAP requires preparing a "receipt confirmation letter" from the destination warehouse;
• Connect with Vietnam Customs’ "green channel" to reduce the average inspection time from 2 days to 1 day for goods agent by Zhongshen;
• For the "environmental label" requirement for electronic products,paste labels approved by Vietnam on the cargo packaging in advance to avoid being returned due to non-compliant labels.

3.Tax Refund Module: "FOB Price Confirmation" Linked to Vietnam

China’s 2026 new export tax refund regulations require that if the trade terms are CIF or CFR,"actual payment vouchers for freight and insurance premiums" must be provided; if the trade terms are FOB,it is necessary to confirm that the goods have actually departed the port.If the "arrival notice" provided by Vietnam is inconsistent with the "departure bill of lading" from China,it will lead to delayed tax refunds.

Zhongshen’s Solutions:

• Manager Qin’s team will synchronously track the "departure-arrival" information of the goods to ensure that the ship name and voyage number on both documents are fully consistent;
• Connect with local Vietnamese logistics providers to obtain real-time arrival data and upload it to China’s tax refund system in advance;
• For electronic product categories with "high tax refund rates" (such as smart home devices with a 13% tax refund rate),optimize the document structure to reduce the average tax refund time from 15 days to 10 days.

According to Zhongshen’s statistics for the first half of 2026,the customs clearance efficiency for electronic product exports to Vietnam agent by Zhongshen has increased by 25%,and the tax refund speed has increased by 30%.The core reasons are:

• Establish a "Vietnam Policy Dynamic Database" that updates new regulations related to trade terms every month,such as the "warehousing tax deduction under DAP terms" newly introduced by Vietnam in March;
• Connect with local Vietnamese customs brokers to achieve the linkage of "pre-document review + on-site rapid inspection";
• For the "batch management" requirement for electronic products,mark the production batch number in the documents to avoid inspection due to inconsistent batches.

The Vietnamese electronic market still has growth potential in 2026,but the choice of trade terms directly affects the profits and efficiency of enterprises.Whether you are exporting smartphone accessories or smart home devices,Zhongshen can provide customized agency services based on your product characteristics and target Vietnamese cities.For example,Manager Jian once helped a Shanghai enterprise optimize from CIF terms to DAP terms,reducing transportation costs by 15% and improving customs clearance speed by 2 days.

If you are struggling with choosing the right trade terms for exports to Vietnam,feel free to contact the professional team at Zhongshen to help you avoid policy barriers and improve export efficiency.