Vietnam Customs is ramping up administrative reforms, trade facilitation, and digital transformation while tightening enforcement against revenue leakage, smuggling, and commercial fraud through the final months of 2026. Led by Director General Nguyen Van Tho, the sector is prioritizing institutional improvements and advanced risk management under a newly updated customs legal framework.
Key Performance Highlights & Data
- International Trade: Total import and export turnover surged 28.7% year-on-year to reach $770.14 billion in the first eight months of 2026. Exports grew 22.4% to $374.84 billion, while imports rose 35.3% to $395.30 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $20.46 billion.
- State Budget Revenue: Customs revenue from import-export activities hit VND 352.766 trillion during the eight-month period—representing 78.2% of the annual target and a 17.4% increase compared to 2025.
- Digital Services: More than 85.718 million online documents were processed out of a total 85.738 million (nearly 100%), highlighting the success of paperless clearance through the VNACCS/VCIS systems.
- Anti-Smuggling & Enforcement:
- Authorities detected and handled 15,273 cases of counterfeit or infringing goods worth approximately VND 15.371 trillion (December 15, 2025 – August 14, 2026), initiating 15 criminal cases and collecting VND 899.7 billion in administrative fines.
- Drug control units cracked down on trafficking networks, seizing 785.25 kilograms of narcotics and arresting 274 suspects across 129 cases.
- Risk Management System: Over 2.16 million customs declarations were classified by risk level between July 15 and August 14, 2026 (Green channel: 71.51%, Yellow channel: 26.39%, Red channel: 2.10%) to fast-track compliant shipments while prioritizing high-risk cargo.
Strategic Outlook for Late 2026
Vietnam Customs is upgrading its IT infrastructure to support full-scale digital customs and preparing a pilot program to verify low-value goods declarations by integrating national identification via VNeID directly with the customs platform.
Implications for Importers and Exporters: While digital advancements significantly reduce processing times and clearance costs, stricter risk management and rigorous enforcement mean businesses must maintain absolute accuracy in documentation, accurate valuation, and strict regulatory compliance.
Source :
www. en.nhandan.vn
www. vovworld.vn
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