Official Letter No. 17552/CHQ-GSQL: Vietnam Customs Tightens Inspection of Origin and Labelling of Exported Goods – Businesses Should Proactively Conduct Customs Healthcheck
- 39 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Over the past period, Vietnam Customs has issued various directives, plans and official letters guiding customs inspection and supervision of origin, goods labelling and prevention of illegal transshipment in respect of imported, exported and transited goods. Regional Customs Sub-Departments have also proactively developed action plans, assigned responsibilities and implemented inspection measures at border-gate and off-border-gate customs units. These efforts have helped detect and handle various violations, prevent revenue loss, combat trade fraud and ensure compliance with customs regulations.
However, the global economic and political environment remains increasingly complex. Trade tensions between countries continue to intensify. At the same time, the ongoing shift of manufacturing and investment flows, together with the rapid growth of cross-border e-commerce, creates both opportunities and significant challenges for customs administration.
Against this backdrop, abuse of origin declaration, circumvention of trade remedy measures, tax evasion and illegal transshipment have become more sophisticated and widespread. Official Letter No. 17552/CHQ-GSQL is therefore a timely and important enforcement signal for importers, exporters, manufacturers and supply chain participants in Vietnam, particularly those exporting goods bearing “Made in Vietnam”, “Produced in Vietnam” or “Product of Vietnam” indications.
In this newsletter, W&A provides an analysis of the new policy's contents, such as:
1. A shift in customs enforcement: from document checking to substance-based origin verification;
2. For exported goods: customs review starts from the customs dossier;
3. Where the dossier is inconsistent: businesses may be required to amend declarations, provide explanations or undergo physical inspection;
4. Physical inspection: “Made in Vietnam” must match the actual origin substance;
5. Key risks for processing, export production and complex supply chain models;
6. Businesses should move from reactive explanation to proactive origin governance;
7. Customs Healthcheck: a preventive tool before customs risks become enforcement issues.
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W&A Consulting stands ready to support businesses in conducting Customs Healthcheck, building robust origin compliance files, reviewing goods labelling practices and handling issues arising from customs inspection, origin verification and post-clearance audit.