Are you planning on shipping goods to Vietnam? Whether you have a trading company or set up a one-time shipment, foreign logistics can be challenging for international companies. This guide will provide insights on selecting the best mode of transportation for your needs and how to ensure compliance with Vietnam’s customs and import regulations.
Overview of the different modes of transportation for shipping to Vietnam
Major ports of entry for importing goods
Due to its strategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has a thorough shipping infrastructure that includes seaports, airports, and land transportation routes. For most foreign companies planning on shipping to Vietnam, the common route is either by ocean freight or via air travel. Below you will find an overview of the main sea and airports for imports:
- Major sea ports in Vietnam:
- Port of Hai Phong: Ideal for businesses involved in heavy industry and agriculture due to its capacity and proximity to Northern Vietnamese markets.
- Port of Da Nang: Crucial for shipping in and out of Central Vietnam and to Singapore and Thailand. It facilitates various cargo types, making it a favorable choice for businesses with diverse product lines.
- Port of Ho Chi Minh City: Situated in Vietnam’s business hub, this port caters to Southern Vietnamese markets and is suitable for businesses dealing in electronics, textiles, and consumer goods, among others.
- Port of Cai Mep: Popular for businesses dealing in heavy machinery or other large-scale commodities. Due to its deepwater capabilities, it is one of the most favored ports by Australian and US freight liners.
- Major Airports in Vietnam:
- Noi Bai International Airport: Located in Hanoi, it connects Northern Vietnam with international markets. Ideal for businesses dealing in high-value or time-sensitive goods, such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, or fashion items.
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport: Serving Ho Chi Minh City, it serves as an excellent choice for businesses that need swift product transport to capture fast-paced Southern Vietnamese and global markets.
Ocean Freight: A cost-effective way to ship goods via containers
Ocean freight is the most economical way to ship your goods to Vietnam, especially for bulky or low-value goods that do not need urgent delivery. The transit time of ocean shipping can vary significantly depending on the distance, route, weather, and congestion of the ports:
| Country of Origin | Port of Origin | Destination Port | Estimated Transit time |
| Australia | Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong | 14 – 33 days |
| Canada | Toronto, Vancouver | Ho Chi Minh City | 28 – 50 days |
| USA | New York, Chicago, Seattle, Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco | Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Da Nang | 20 – 76 days |
| UK | Felixstowe | Ho Chi Minh City | 25 – 39 days |
| Spain | Valencia | Hapiphong | 25 – 30 days |
| Italy | Genoa | Ho Chi Minh City | 30 – 40 days |
| France | Le Havre | Ho Chi Minh City | 28 – 42 days |
| Germany | Hamburg | Haiphong | 29 -35 days |
Vietnam’s coastline stretches over 3,400 kilometers with international gateway ports located in the north and south of the country. The country boasts connections to 34 shipping routes across the world, including 11 in Asia, three to Europe, and 20 to America. Emerhub can help you determine the best ports and routes for your operations with our first-hand experience.
Air shipping to Vietnam: A faster option for importing goods
Air freight is ideal for quickly transporting high-value or perishable goods that need special handling or temperature control. There are 22 airports, 10 of which are international. Goods can therefore easily transfer from a major international airport to one of the local airports. Air freight is ideal for shipping time-sensitive goods to Vietnam, thanks to its shorter transit times
| Country of Origin | Airport of Origin | Destination Airport | Estimated Transit time |
| Australia | Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | 3 – 8 days |
| Germany | Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | 5 – 7 days |
| USA | Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, New York | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | 4 – 10 days |
| UK | London, Glasgow | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | 5 – 7 days |
| Italy | Rome | Hanoi | 1 – 2 days |
| Portugal | Lisbon | Hanoi | 2 – 7 days |
| Switzerland | Zurich, Basel, Geneva | Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi | 3 – 10 days |
It is important to remember, however, that air freight is an expensive option in most cases. Air freight also has stricter limitations on the size and weight of your goods, as well as the type of products that you can ship by air. Some hazardous materials, liquids, or batteries may be prohibited or restricted by airlines.
Navigating customs regulations for shipping goods to Vietnam
Preparing your customs declaration before importing goods
When shipping to Vietnam, you must declare all goods to customs and ensure compliance with current laws and regulations on imported products. This process requires you to submit a customs declaration form and provide supporting documents, both of which can be done electronically. Depending on the imports, authorities request the following documents:
- Bill of Lading/Air Waybill: Contract between shipper and carrier, detailing the goods and their destination.
- Commercial Invoice: Details the transaction between the exporter and importer, including product descriptions, prices, freight, insurance, and packaging details.
- Packing List: Describes specific details about the goods in the shipment like weight, dimensions, and packaging type.
- Import License: A permit from the Vietnamese government to import specific goods.
- Certificate of Origin: Confirms the country of manufacture, impacting duty rates and import eligibility.
- Insurance Policy: Covers loss or damage of goods during transit.
- Inspection Certificate: Confirms the goods have passed an inspection for quality, quantity, or other standards.
- Customs Declaration: Provides customs with detailed information about the goods, their value, and the due import duties.
Emerhub’s team of locally based experts can help you prepare and submit your customs declaration for shipping to Vietnam. If you are planning to import goods that fall under a regulated category, we can also assist you with registration with the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with product registration for food, beverage, and cosmetic goods.
Import duties and taxes in Vietnam
The amount of duty and tax depends on the classification of the goods according to the Harmonized System (HS) Code, and the customs value which is usually based on the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) value for sea freight, and the CIP (Carriage and Insurance Paid) value for air freight. Taxes on imported goods depend on the origin and type of product:
- Value-added tax: This tax is in addition to import duties and is on the value of imported products. Vietnam’s VAT rates for imported goods can be 5% or 10%. Certain goods, such as daily necessities that cannot be produced in Vietnam, are exempt from VAT.
- Special consumption tax: Some consumer goods fall under luxury items and have an additional tax imposed. SCT rates start at 7% and can be more than 100% for some products.
- Environmental protection tax: EPT is a tax imposed on products that harm the environment. According to Law No. 57/2010/QH12, goods such as plastic bags, gasoline, coal, etc. are subject to the environmental protection tax.
Import duties and customs taxes must be declared and paid by the importer before the goods can be released into the country. To learn more about this process and dive deeper into planning for fees on specific types of products, be sure to read our related article on how to calculate import tax and duty in Vietnam.
Key considerations for passing customs inspection
Customs officers will inspect the goods to verify the accuracy of the declaration and ensure compliance with import regulations. This includes checking the quality, quantity, and value of the goods, as well as their classification and origin. If there are any discrepancies or violations, they impose a penalty. There are several key regulations and restrictions to consider:
- Product Labeling (Decree 43/2017/ND-CP): all goods imported into Vietnam must have labels in the Vietnamese language, which contain mandatory information such as name, origin, and quantity, date of manufacture, and expiration along with handling instructions.
- Prohibited Items (Decree 187/2013/ND-CP): Weapons, ammunition, second-hand consumer goods, and culturally inappropriate products are not allowed for shipping to Vietnam. The government may allow imports for scientific research or humanitarian aid.
- Used Equipment (Decision 18/2019/QD-TTg): You can import used machinery and equipment that is less than ten years old. However, they must meet the safety, energy-saving, and environmental protection standards of Vietnam or G7 countries and prove that it’s used for internal purposes only.
- Restricted Items (Circular 34/2013/TT-BCT): Biological products, certain cosmetics, chemicals, and tobacco products require government permission for import.
- Pharmaceuticals (Decree 54/2017/ND-CP): Foreign-invested companies can import pharmaceutical products into Vietnam (some products require a pharmaceutical import permit), but can only sell to the wholesalers registered with the Ministry of Health.
How to legally ship goods to Vietnam
If you are shipping to Vietnam primarily for trade, then you will have to register a company and apply for several import permits and certificates. While there is no minimum capital requirement, you do need to inject sufficient capital to match your planned expenses. Emerhub can assist you with establishing a legal entity in Vietnam as well as securing licensing and import permits.
A faster and simpler alternative is partnering with an Importer of Record (IOR), thus bypassing the need to register a legal entity in Vietnam. As your IOR, Emerhub will act as your consignee and navigate the entire process of shipping to Vietnam, through our established logistics network. We already have the necessary import permits, and our experts will handle customs.]
Our Importer of Record service allows you to start shipping to Vietnam virtually immediately and from anywhere in the world. Our process is ideal for both ad-hoc and continuous shipments and allows you to focus on your daily operations. If you are planning on shipping foreign products to Vietnam, contact us via the form below to get in touch with one of our advisors!
