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Is Vietnam Transshipment Trade Still Policy-Feasible in 2026?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the head of a foreign trade enterprise exporting outdoor products. Recently, North America has imposed an additional 30% anti-dumping duty on our products, which directly squeezed our profit to negative.
I heard from peers that Vietnam transshipment trade can bypass this barrier, but last year a friend of mine had his cargo detained in Los Angeles due to incomplete filing, and the total cost of detention fees plus fines exceeded 200,000. Now it is 2026, I want to know is Vietnam transshipment trade still available? What materials need to be prepared in advance?
Will it be detected for anti-circumvention by North American authorities? In addition, is there any risk to cargo ownership during transshipment? I hope to get a detailed answer, I really don't want to step into more pitfalls.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
Many enterprises believe that Vietnam transshipment trade only requires simple repacking and re-labeling，but they ignore the two core requirements of "Certificate of Origin for Transit Cargo" and "Qualification Audit of Third-party Logistics Providers" specified in the newly implemented Measures for the Administration of Transshipment Trade Filing of Vietnam Customs in 2026.
If the filing is not completed as required，the cargo will face 7-15 days of detention inspection after entering Vietnamese ports，and the average daily container detention fee and storage fee incurred during the period exceeds 200 USD，if an anti-circumvention investigation is initiated by a third-party market (such as North America)，not only the cargo will be seized，but it may also face retroactive tariff penalties，which can reach more than 30% of the cargo value.
Physical Risk Isolation Measures shall be implemented from three aspects: first，select a professional transit warehouse filed with Vietnam Customs to ensure the traceability of the repacking process，second，require the transshipment intermediary to provide a complete logistics document chain (including local Vietnamese transportation note，warehouse receipt，transshipment customs declaration)，third，prepare anti-circumvention evidence materials in advance，such as the processing certificate of the Vietnamese factory (if minor processing is involved)，the independent transaction contract between the transshipment intermediary and the end buyer.
Exclusive Stop-Loss Tips: If the cargo already has a port detention warning，immediately contact a local Vietnamese customs broker to submit supplementary filing materials，and provide the final sales contract of the terminal market to prove the necessity of transshipment，if you encounter an anti-circumvention investigation，entrust a third-party institution to issue a report on the rationality of cargo transshipment，and cooperate with the investigation agency to provide a complete document chain to avoid being identified as "fraudulent transshipment". At the same time，it is recommended to recheck the qualification of the transshipment intermediary every quarter to ensure that it meets the latest transshipment trade requirements of Vietnam.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
For the customs declaration link of Vietnam transshipment trade, attention should be paid to the newly added requirement of "transshipment trade filing number" in 2026. All transit cargo must fill in this number on the customs declaration, otherwise it will be regarded as invalid declaration. If the customs declaration is put on hold, supplementary filing materials must be submitted to the Transshipment Management Department of Vietnam Customs within 3 working days.
If overdue, it will face deletion and re-declaration with a fine. In terms of valuation disputes, Vietnam Customs will conduct comprehensive valuation based on the origin value of transit cargo, transshipment link costs and terminal market selling price. It is recommended to provide the original origin invoice and transshipment cost details in advance to avoid additional costs caused by over-valuation.
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
For logistics route optimization of Vietnam transshipment trade, it is preferred to select Ho Chi Minh Port or Haiphong Port as transit ports. These two ports have complete transshipment logistics facilities and longer free storage period (up to 7 days for general cargo). If you encounter container rolling, immediately contact the transshipment intermediary to adjust the sailing schedule, and provide the transshipment filing certificate of Vietnam Customs to apply for container detention fee reduction.
When endorsing and transferring the bill of lading, you must ensure that the name of the endorser is consistent with the name of the transshipment intermediary to avoid cargo ownership disputes. It is recommended to choose a direct transshipment plan to reduce the risk of cargo damage and delay in transit links.
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat
For tax issues involved in Vietnam transshipment trade, attention should be paid to the VAT deferral policy. In 2026, Vietnam extended the VAT deferral period for transshipment trade to 90 days, but it needs to meet the condition that the transit cargo stays in Vietnam for no more than 30 days. If the transit cargo stays for more than 30 days, temporary VAT shall be paid at Vietnam's VAT rate (10%), and tax refund shall be applied after the cargo departs.
For cross-border related party transaction pricing, it is necessary to ensure that the charging of the transshipment intermediary complies with the arm's length principle, so as to avoid being identified as transfer pricing by the Vietnamese tax authority. It is recommended to formulate the charging standard by referring to the market average price of local transshipment services in Vietnam.
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat
For payment and settlement of Vietnam transshipment trade, RMB cross-border payment shall be conducted through CIPS system. In 2026, Vietnam requires that the foreign exchange collection of transshipment trade must be completed within 15 days after the cargo departs, otherwise the subsequent transshipment filing qualification will be affected.
For offshore account management, it is recommended to use an offshore account filed with the State Bank of Vietnam to receive transshipment payment, so as to avoid settlement difficulties caused by non-compliant accounts. When settling and balancing accounts, a complete transshipment trade document chain (including transshipment customs declaration, bill of lading, warehouse receipt) shall be provided to ensure that capital flow is consistent with cargo flow, so as to prevent being identified as abnormal capital flow.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
The contract for Vietnam transshipment trade shall include a force majeure clause for coverage, especially for possible situations such as port congestion and policy changes in the transit link. For soft clauses of letter of credit, avoid the clause that "payment is subject to the customs clearance result of the third-party market", so as to prevent the failure to recover the payment due to the clearance problem of the terminal market.
When transferring cargo ownership, an official bill of lading endorsement document shall be issued, and it shall be ensured that the transshipment intermediary has no lien in the process of cargo ownership transfer. It is recommended to conduct legal due diligence on the qualification of the transshipment intermediary, including its business license scope, customs filing certificate, etc., so as to avoid cooperating with unqualified enterprises.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
For supply chain planning of Vietnam transshipment trade, the inventory linkage strategy shall be considered. It is recommended to keep a small amount of buffer inventory in the Vietnamese transit warehouse to meet the urgent order demand of the terminal market.
The cost actuarial model shall include all costs of the transit link (such as storage fee, repacking fee, customs declaration fee, logistics fee) and potential risk costs (such as detention fee, fine), and compare it with the tariff cost of direct export to evaluate the cost performance of transshipment trade. When converting CIF/FOB trade terms, the division of responsibilities in the transit link shall be clearly defined.
For example, when choosing FOB Vietnam terms, it shall be ensured that the transshipment intermediary is responsible for the transportation and customs declaration of the goods within Vietnam. It is recommended to conduct a cost optimization analysis of the transshipment trade link every six months to find a more cost-effective transshipment solution.