On 16 June 2026, the Department of Vietnam Customs issued Official Letter No. 17552/CHQ-GSQL to reinforce inspection and enforcement activities regarding country-of-origin determinations, origin claims, and goods labeling for both imports and exports.
This Letter is a pivotal directive for the Customs sub-department to significantly tighten origin and labeling management in 2026.
The guidance aims to prevent origin fraud, illegal transshipment, trade remedy circumvention, tax evasion, and misleading origin claims amid increasing international trade risks.
Read the full official letter here: Official Letter No. 17552/CHQ-GSQL in Vietnamese
Purpose of the Official Letter
To reinforce inspection and enforcement activities regarding country-of-origin determinations, origin claims, and goods labeling for imports and exports.
To strengthen customs supervision and prevent origin fraud, illegal transshipment, trade remedy circumvention, tax evasion, and misleading origin claims.
Scope of Application
This Official Letter applies to importers, exporters, customs declarants, and other stakeholders involved in cross-border trade activities in Vietnam.
It is relevant to goods subject to origin verification, labeling requirements, preferential tariff treatment, trade remedy measures, embargoes, safety, health, and environmental controls.
Legal References
The directive operates under the following legal references:
- Customs Law and Law on Foreign Trade Management
- Decree No. 31/2018/ND-CP on origin of goods
- Circular No. 33/2023/TT-BTC on determination of origin of exported and imported goods
- Decision No. 467/QD-CHQ (2025) on customs origin verification procedures
- New product labeling requirements under Decree No. 37/2026/ND-CP
- Relevant administrative penalty regulations in customs, product quality, and commercial fraud sectors
Key Highlights
Strengthened Documentary and Physical Inspections
Customs sub-departments are instructed to strengthen documentary and physical inspections, including:
- Verification of declared country of origin, HS codes, product descriptions, trademarks, models, and technical specifications
- Examination of Certificates of Origin (COO), including validity, consistency of information, and origin criteria
- Review of applicable origin rules, such as Wholly Obtained, Produced Entirely, Product-Specific Rules, Regional Value Content, and Change in Tariff Classification
- Escalation to physical inspection where origin fraud or unlawful transshipment is suspected
Labeling Compliance Focus
Special attention is directed toward imported goods produced abroad that are pre-labeled with “Made in Vietnam”, “Produced in/by Vietnam”, or “Origin Vietnam” on the products or packaging to commit fraud.
Customs officers will also also pay strict attention to non-compliant labeling, including missing mandatory details or altered and deceptive labels intended to disguise true origin or circumvent regulatory controls.
Where non-compliance is identified, Customs may deny preferential tariff treatment, reassess duties, and impose administrative penalties for inaccurate origin declarations.
Goods subject to origin certification requirements for trade remedy measures, embargoes, safety, health, and environmental controls may be refused customs clearance if origin requirements are not met.
Imported products falsely claiming Vietnamese origin may be treated as labeling violations involving counterfeit or misleading origin indications and may be subject to sanctions under applicable regulations.
Exported Goods
For exported goods, customs officers are required to strengthen origin verification by reviewing the consistency of customs declarations and supporting documents.
Customs officers will also closely monitor manufacturing and export operations with potential origin fraud risks and may request additional evidence or conduct on-site verification where necessary to substantiate origin claims.
Replacement of Previous Guidance
This Official Letter formally replaces previous guidance documents on customs inspection and supervision relating to goods origin, labeling, and the prevention of illegal transshipment, including:
- Official Letter No. 5189/TCHQ-GSQL (2019)
- Directive No. 7988/CT-TCHQ (2019)
- Official Letter No. 755/TCHQ-GSQL (2020)
- Official Letter No. 571/CHQ-GSQL (2025)
The Letter also clarifies that inspections of exported, imported, or transited goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights shall continue to be conducted in accordance with Official Letter No. 16727/CHQ-GSQL.
Customs sub-departments are also required to submit semi-annual and annual reports to the Department of Vietnam Customs on the implementation of customs supervision activities.
Implications to Clients
Clients engaged in import and export activities are advised to review their origin determination processes.
They should ensure consistency between customs declarations and supporting documents and verify compliance with applicable labeling requirements.
These steps can help mitigate the risk of customs penalties, denial of preferential tariff treatment, refusal of customs clearance, reassessment of duties, or other enforcement actions.
Companies should also strengthen internal documentation controls, supplier verification, labeling review processes, and readiness for potential customs inspections or on-site verification.
Effective Date
16 June 2026
For Inquiries
For inquiries or support regarding medical device regulatory requirements in Vietnam, please contact sales@andamanmed.com.