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The value of Vietnam’s e-commerce market more than doubled from $5 billion in 2015 to $11.8 billion in 2020. As more businesses and consumers purchase or trade goods online, e-commerce is expected to facilitate increased cross-border trade. However, there are currently no regulations on customs procedures for goods transacted through e-commerce, which can lead to delays and bottlenecks in the clearance of goods. To help address this, on June 16, the USAID Trade Facilitation Program and the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) under the Ministry of Finance (MOF) discussed USAID’s support for the MOF-led development of a decree, a policy issued by the government, that will regulate customs procedures for goods traded through e-commerce. USAID assisted the GDVC in drafting the decree by contributing insights and international practices on customs procedures for e-commerce. The decree is expected to be submitted to the Government of Vietnam in the fourth quarter of 2021. 

As Vietnam needs clear regulations in place to manage the increasing number of e-commerce transactions, with USAID support, the issuance of the decree will not only enhance transparency in the customs legal framework but will also reduce the time, cost and procedures for customs clearance for goods traded via e-commerce.

USAID Trade Facilitation Program

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USAID Trade Facilitation Program

The five-year USAID Trade Facilitation Program aims to support the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to adopt and implement a risk management approach to customs and specialized inspection agencies, which will strengthen the implementation of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of which both Vietnam and the United States are members. This will assist Vietnam in achieving its development objectives while reducing the time and cost to trade.

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USAID Closes Project that Improved Trade and Investment Environment in Vietnam

On April 12, USAID and GVN counterpart the General Department of Vietnam Customs marked the closing of USAID’s five-year, $21.7 million Trade Facilitation Program at an event in Hanoi. This successful partnership increased the business community’s voice in policy-making, simplified customs procedures, created action plans to ease port congestion, and put Vietnam on track to be in full compliance with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement ahead of schedule.

United States, Vietnam Celebrate Improvements to Trade and Investment Climate Achieved Through Partnership

Today, the United States Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) celebrated their joint success creating a more attractive trade and investment environment in Vietnam. At an event in Hanoi, government and business representatives joined together to mark the end of USAID’s Trade Facilitation Program and highlight joint results achieved since 2018. 

USAID Supports Vietnam to Expedite Customs Processes

Digitalization of customs procedures is essential for a modern customs administration and for effective trade. USAID is supporting Vietnam's Customs Agency to conduct a cost benefit assessment of developing a national customs database. The proposed database would collect all customs information into a single system, align with the SMART Customs IT System, an integrated transaction control system, and provide seamless information sharing between provincial customs departments and national government agencies.