Ministry issues new circular on certificates of origin
The circular, effective from July 1, regulates two entities authorised to issue C/O: the ministry’s Agency of Foreign Trade and organisations authorised by provincial and municipal People’s Committees.
A container ship at Gemalink International Port. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a circular detailing procedures for issuance of certificates of origin (C/Os) and written approvals for self-certification of origin by exporters, a move to decentralise and streamline trade administration.
The circular, effective from July 1, regulates two entities authorised to issue C/Os: the ministry’s Agency of Foreign Trade and organisations authorised by provincial and municipal people’s committees.
The issuance process will be conducted via the eCoSys platform at the address www.ecosys.gov.vn. The system is managed by the Department of e-Commerce and Digital Economy and integrated with the national Single Window system.
Authorised bodies must publish their procedures and provide guidance to businesses to ensure compliance with regulations.
🌊 The Agency of Foreign Trade will provide training and conduct periodic inspections to ensure smooth issuance of C/Os nationwide./.
As Vietnam deepens its integration into the global economy through more than 15 free trade agreements (FTAs), including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), origin transparency has become a non-negotiable requirement to access tariff preferences and avoid trade defence measures.
The National Steering Committee 389 Office urged competent agencies to strengthen patrol and inspection activities to detect, prevent, and severely penalise attempts to transport falsely-labelled Vietnamese products across borders, seaports, and international airports.
Hien explained that rules of origin are a set of criteria used to determine the country where a product is manufactured (i.e. country of origin). These rules are especially important for goods produced using inputs from multiple countries, and require clearly defined methods and standards to identify the origin accurately.
An official of the Foreign Trade Agency laid stress on the foundational role of rules of origin in international trade, highlighting the importance of capacity building for enforcement officers in the context of deep international integration.
Against the backdrop of the growing comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, the promotion and export of Vietnam’s agricultural products not only diversify supply sources for the Russian market but also help enhance the brand values and competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises in the market that remains untapped.
International trade is no longer merely an exchange of goods but a strategic lever enabling Vietnamese enterprises to enhance capacity, secure partnerships, and expand globally.
In the first eight months of 2025, Vietnam’s total trade value reached nearly 600 billion USD, up 16.3% year on year. Of this, exports stood at 306 billion USD, a 14.8% increase, already surpassing the full-year target.
Vietnam aims to maintain macroeconomic stability, control inflation below the target, achieve growth of 8.3-8.5%, ensure major economic balances, surpass budget revenue estimates by 25%, and control public debt, government debt, foreign debt, and budget deficit.
Reaffirming Vietnam’s commitment to foreign investors, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said government policies always aim to ensure transparency, fairness and a mutually beneficial environment that promotes innovation and safeguards investor rights, making Vietnam a sustainable and long-term investment destination.
The State Bank of Vietnam must launch an official gold price information portal, study the establishment of gold exchanges, and issue guiding documents to implement the Government’s decree on the management of gold trading activities.
According to the World Bank Group, Vietnam will need approximately 368 billion USD in investment for climate adaptation and carbon reduction projects by 2040. Yet, as of the end of 2024, green credit accounted for just 4.5% of the country’s total outstanding loans.
Amidst robust digital transformation across all sectors, the food processing industry has tapped such digital technologies as Internet of Things, AI, blockchain and Big Data to optimise production process, control supply chain, and meet consumers’ demands.
The French side pledged to share technical guidelines and safety standards, with the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) ready to provide training for Vietnamese specialists.
Vietnam now has more than 940,000 private enterprises and over 5 million household businesses, contributing approximately 50% of GDP, over 30% of state budget revenue, and employing 82% of the national workforce.
Businesses underlined the need for expanding green credit and non-collateral concessional loans for circular agriculture projects, facilitating their participation in national key projects, and fostering alliances among Vietnamese enterprises as well as cooperation with regional partners.
State-owned Vietcombank currently leads the banking system with total assets exceeding 85 billion USD and a market capitalisation of over 20 billion USD, while maintaining strong financial safety indicators. Its non-performing loan ratio remains the lowest in the sector at 0.97%.
Malaysia is Vietnam’s third-largest trading partner in ASEAN and ninth globally, as well as a key investor with 731 valid projects worth about 13 billion USD. Bilateral trade reached 9.23 billion USD by July 2025, up 8% year-on-year, nearing the 18 billion USD target.
Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang noted that free trade agreements such as the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have expanded opportunities for businesses in both countries.
Lotte Shopping currently operates three department stores and 16 supermarkets in Vietnam, alongside one department store and 48 supermarkets in Indonesia. The company highlighted the success of its flagship Lotte Mall West Lake Hanoi, which opened in 2023, describing it as a model for future premium complexes. Kim said the group intends to replicate this concept in other major Vietnamese cities.
In the EU, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major obstacle to Vietnam's efforts to have the European Commission (EC)'s “yellow card" lifted. The bloc’s dense and constantly changing regulatory framework also affects farming zones, production processes and quality standards.
