Vietnam Import & Export Toolkit
Vietnam has become the top China+1 destination for manufacturing. This hub covers LC cost in VND and USD, MFN vs FTA duty (CPTPP, EVFTA, RCEP, ASEAN), 10% VAT, VNACCS customs declarations and Incoterms best practice.
Free calculators for Vietnam trade
- · Cat Lai (Ho Chi Minh City) - largest container terminal
- · Cai Mep-Thi Vai (deep-water, near HCMC)
- · Haiphong (Lach Huyen deep-water port)
- · Da Nang
- · Quy Nhon
- · Broadcasting equipment (phones - Samsung)
- · Integrated circuits
- · Textiles & garments
- · Footwear
- · Furniture
- · Coffee (world #2)
- · Rice
- · Integrated circuits
- · Refined petroleum
- · Broadcasting equipment (components)
- · Machinery
- · Iron & steel
- · Cotton
- · Plastics
Trade finance in Vietnam
- · USD dominates Vietnamese trade finance - most import LCs are USD-denominated even where the underlying supplier is regional. USD LCs use ACT/360.
- · VND LCs are rare in international trade but domestic bank acceptance is offered on ACT/365.
- · Vietnamese banks (Vietcombank, BIDV, VietinBank, Techcombank) issue and confirm LCs at 0.15-0.30% per quarter. G7 confirmation on top-4 Vietnamese bank risk sits at 0.20-0.50%.
- · State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) requires foreign-currency loans and deferred payments over 1 year to be registered.
Customs & duty in Vietnam
- · Vietnam uses the AHTN 8-digit code, aligned to WCO HS at 6 digits (same as other ASEAN members).
- · VNACCS/VCIS is the national customs single window, operational since 2014 (based on Japan's NACCS).
- · Customs value = CIF (transaction value). Duty applied first, then SCT (if applicable), then 10% VAT on the combined base.
- · For CPTPP / EVFTA / RCEP preferential origin, self-certification (importer knowledge or exporter declaration) is available - traditional C/O Form D/E/EUR.1 also accepted.
Incoterms 2020 practice in Vietnam
- · FOB HCMC / FOB Haiphong is dominant for exports. Buyers should push for FCA on container cargo.
- · CIF is the dominant term for imports into Vietnam. DDP is rare - the seller would need a Vietnamese subsidiary or IOR agent.
- · For sensitive goods (chemicals, cosmetics, food) additional pre-import registrations (specialised licences) apply regardless of Incoterm.
HS commodity guides for Vietnam
Classification, duty and worked landed-cost examples for the commodity families most active on Vietnam's trade lanes.
Commodities linked to Vietnam
Vietnam appears in the trade lanes for the commodities below. Each hub covers grades, specs, benchmark pricing and HS code references.
Vietnam's key trading partners
Frequently asked questions
CIF value → MFN or preferential duty (0% under CPTPP/EVFTA/RCEP with valid origin) → SCT on select goods → 10% VAT on the combined base. Use our Import Duty Calculator with the 'Vietnam' preset.
Depends on origin. For EU-origin goods: EVFTA. For UK: UKVFTA. For Japan: CPTPP or JVEPA. For China/ASEAN: RCEP or ATIGA/ACFTA - compare because the applicable-rate rules differ. Our HS Lookup surfaces FTA rates side by side.
Local importer of record must have a business licence with the relevant HS categories in scope. Foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) need an Investment Registration Certificate authorising import trading rights.
Export Processing Enterprises (EPEs) and bonded warehouse operations are outside the customs territory - imports of materials for re-export are duty and VAT free. This underpins the country's electronics and garment export sectors.