How to Export to Vietnam in 2026: Import Duty, 8% or 10% VAT, Labels and FTAs

Import duty and VAT: how the import cost is calculated

Goods are classified under Vietnam's tariff nomenclature, based on the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature, and each line has a preferential (MFN) rate and special preferential rates under the free trade agreements. Duty is charged on the customs value, which under the Ministry of Finance's rules on customs value (Circular 39/2015/TT-BTC, as amended by Circular 60/2019/TT-BTC) adds the freight and insurance to the first port of import to the transaction value, a CIF basis.

VAT is charged on the customs value plus the import duty and, where they apply, special consumption tax and environmental protection tax. The standard rate is 10%; under Resolution 204/2025/QH15 and Decree 174/2025/ND-CP, most goods and services are taxed at 8% from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2026, with exclusions such as telecommunications, finance, insurance and real estate. Example with an illustrative 10% duty and the 8% rate: customs value USD 10,000, duty USD 1,000, VAT 8% of USD 11,000 = USD 880, so USD 1,880 in total.

Labels: original label and Vietnamese sub-label

Under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, which replaced Decrees 43/2017 and 111/2021, the original label of imported goods must show at least the product name, the origin and the name and address of the manufacturer. A Vietnamese sub-label with the mandatory content for the product type is added before the goods are sold, without covering the original label. Check that the original label already carries these details before shipping, because customs checks origin and labelling.

Who imports and what is checked

• The importer is a Vietnamese company with the right to import the goods; a foreign seller usually sells CIF, CFR or DAP to a local importer or distributor.
• Food, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and some machinery need product registrations, notifications or specialised inspections before or at import; for cosmetics, a Vietnamese company notifies the Drug Administration of Vietnam (see Triplicate's note on cosmetics in Vietnam).
• Customs procedures follow Circular 121/2025/TT-BTC from 1 February 2026, which amends Circulars 38/2015 and 39/2018; an amended Customs Law (No. 11/2026/QH16) takes effect on 1 March 2027.
• Express parcels: since 18 February 2025, low-value goods sent by express no longer get the VAT exemption; the import duty exemption for shipments up to VND 1,000,000 remains.

Free trade agreements and proof of origin

Vietnam has 17 free trade agreements in force: AFTA (ASEAN), ACFTA (China), AKFTA (Korea), AJCEP (Japan), VJEPA (Japan), AIFTA (India), AANZFTA (Australia and New Zealand), VCFTA (Chile), VKFTA (Korea), the Eurasian Economic Union agreement, the CPTPP, AHKFTA (Hong Kong), EVFTA (EU), UKVFTA (UK), RCEP, VIFTA (Israel, 15 October 2024) and the Vietnam-UAE agreement (3 February 2026). To claim a special preferential rate, the importer needs the proof of origin the agreement requires, such as a certificate of origin (Form D, E, AK, VK or AJ) or an origin declaration, and the goods must meet its rules of origin.

Where several agreements apply, as for goods from Korea (AKFTA, VKFTA and RCEP) or Japan (AJCEP, VJEPA, CPTPP and RCEP), compare the rate for the exact tariff line under each agreement and choose the lowest one whose rule of origin you can meet and prove.