Vietnam: Amendments to customs law enacted
The changes expand rules for e-commerce imports and exports, strengthen customs compliance management, and revise customs procedures.
The National Assembly of Vietnam on August 23, 2026, passed Law No. 11/2026/QH16, amending and supplementing certain provisions of the customs law. The law will become effective on March 1, 2027.
Key changes include:
- Expansion of eligible customs declarants to include e-commerce platform operators
- Introduction of a legal basis for the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in customs compliance management and for compliance-based facilitation measures
- Revised storage periods for goods in bonded warehouses, container freight stations, and duty-free shops, with storage-period extensions repealed
- Authority for customs authorities to proactively suspend customs clearance of goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights
- A 20-day limit for post-clearance audits, with a one-time extension of up to 20 additional days for complex cases
Read a September 2026 report prepared by the KPMG member firm in Vietnam