Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has issued Circular 26/2026/TT-BCT, effective May 29, 2026, to decentralize, reduce, and simplify administrative procedures in eight key areas including industrial explosives, chemicals, petroleum, mining, and dangerous goods transport. This reform aims to cut processing times and paperwork, directly benefiting foreign importers and distributors by easing cross-border logistics and chemical storage licensing.
Scope of the reform
Circular 26 covers eight sectors: industrial explosives and precursors; mining; tobacco production and trade; petroleum trading; e-commerce; import and export; chemicals; and dangerous goods transport. The MOIT has abolished outdated provisions, notably in petroleum trading, by removing specific clauses from earlier circulars (e.g., Circular 38/2014/TT-BCT and Circular 18/2025/TT-BCT). This consolidation reduces regulatory overlap and clarifies compliance requirements for businesses.
Decentralization of import-export and chemical permits
For import-export, provincial People's Committees now have authority to issue transit permits for most ordinary goods from China, Laos, and Cambodia crossing Vietnamese territory. However, the Import-Export Department (MOIT) retains control over industrial explosives transit. Additionally, provincial committees can issue Certificates of Origin (C/O) under the Vietnam-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. In the chemical sector, provincial committees where an organization's headquarters or chemical storage facility is located can now receive applications, organize evaluations, and issue/reissue chemical storage eligibility certificates, replacing central-level processing.
Reduced processing times and paperwork
Processing times have been significantly shortened. For mining, risk management plan approval now takes 7 working days, and safety training certificate issuance is streamlined into three phases totaling 9 working days. In chemicals, if a facility is in a different province from the headquarters, the local committee has 8 working days for on-site inspection, followed by 3 working days for license issuance. The circular also abolishes dozens of old annexes in the tobacco sector and eliminates several periodic reporting requirements in e-commerce and petroleum, cutting administrative burdens.
What buyers should watch
Foreign buyers and distributors should note that decentralized chemical storage licensing may speed up approvals for warehousing and logistics operations in Vietnam. The streamlined transit permit process for goods from China, Laos, and Cambodia could reduce border delays for raw materials and finished chemicals. However, industrial explosives and certain hazardous materials remain under central control, requiring continued coordination with MOIT's Import-Export Department. Companies should update their compliance protocols to align with the new forms and timelines effective May 29, 2026.
Source: Read the original report | Published: May 25, 2026