On April 14, 2026, Vietnam’s General Department of Customs under the Ministry of Finance issued Official Letter No. 15269/CHQ‑GSQL to local customs branches regarding the disclosure of ingredient information for imported chemicals. Earlier, on March 19, 2026, the General Department of Customs had received a document from the US‑ASEAN Business Council (USABC), “USABC‑HN‑20260319‑01,” outlining concerns raised by member companies about ingredient disclosure requirements in import procedures.

 

Official Letter No. 15269/CHQ‑GSQL

The background to Official Letter No. 15269/CHQ‑GSQL is that some customs branches have recently begun applying guidance requiring importing companies to disclose 100% of the ingredients in chemical mixtures—including the name, CAS Registry Number, and concentration of each component—as a condition for customs clearance. Previously, this requirement had been applied irregularly or on a case‑by‑case basis, but according to reports from many companies, it is now being enforced as a mandatory condition in certain regions. In response, the General Department of Customs has instructed local customs branches to take the following actions:

  1. Verify and clearly report whether, since January 1, 2026, the branch has issued any documents, notices, or operational guidance requiring companies to declare 100% of chemical information (such as CAS numbers and ingredient concentrations) as a condition for customs clearance of imported chemicals.
  2. If such disclosure requirements have been applied, the branch must provide the specific documents or notices involved and clarify the legal basis on which they were issued.

 

The deadline for local customs branches to submit their findings to the General Department of Customs is April 17, 2026.

As of April 25, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City‑based District 2 Customs Branch has submitted its findings and a consolidated report to the General Department of Customs through Official Letter No. 3824/HQKV2‑NVHQ, dated April 20, 2026. No similar reports from other regional customs branches have yet been confirmed.

 

Below is a summary of Official Letter No. 3824/HQKV2‑NVHQ.