Non-staple Food Export to Vietnam Agency: Full-link Solution for Customs Clearance, Logistics and Tax Refund

Non-staple Food Export to Vietnam Agency: 2026 Guide to Compliance and Efficiency Improvement

Vietnam’s non-staple food market size exceeded 30 billion US dollars in 2026,with continuously growing demand for Chinese pre-packaged food,nuts,fruit juice and other products.However,many enterprises suffer losses during export due to missing certifications,improper tariff optimization and customs clearance delays.We have seen many enterprises ignore certification details at the port of destination,resulting in their goods being detained at Ho Chi Minh Port for a whole week,which leads to not only high demurrage fees,but also missed peak sales seasons.

I.Core Certification Requirements for Vietnam Non-staple Food Import at Port of Destination

1.GACC Registration and Label Compliance for Pre-packaged Food

In accordance with the Decree No.248 of the General Administration of Customs of China,all production enterprises exporting pre-packaged food to Vietnam must complete GACC registration for overseas production enterprises,which is the prerequisite for Vietnam Customs to accept the goods.Last year,one company under Manager Cui exported chocolate to Vietnam.The goods were detained for inspection due to incomplete GACC registration.The supplementary registration process took 2 months,causing lost orders and nearly ten thousand yuan of port demurrage fees.

The Chinese labels of pre-packaged food shall comply with the standard of GB 7718-2021.The national standard serial numbers of food additives in the ingredient list must be marked (for example,mark GB 1901-2010 for sodium benzoate).Vietnam Customs conducts random inspection on labels,and goods that do not meet requirements need to be rectified before clearance.

2.Animal and Plant Quarantine and Health Certificate Requirements

Phytosanitary certificates are required for nuts and fruit products exported to Vietnam,and health certificates are required for meat and frozen food.These documents are issued by official China inspection and quarantine authorities,and are mandatory documents for customs clearance.When exporting walnuts,the phytosanitary certificate must indicate "no quarantine pests",otherwise Vietnam Customs will conduct sampling test,which will delay the release for 3 to 5 days.

II.Tariff Optimization Strategies for Exporting Non-staple Food to Vietnam Under RCEP Framework

In 2026,the RCEP tariff concession for Vietnam enters its 5th year.Tariffs for most non-staple food products are reduced to below 5%,and some are duty-free.But the preferential tariff can only be enjoyed with correct use of Form E Certificate of Origin.

Common Application Traps of Form E Certificate of Origin and Avoidance Measures

• Third-party invoice issue: Vietnam Customs does not accept third-party invoices as supporting documents for Form E.Only invoices directly issued by the exporter to the Vietnamese importer are acceptable.
• Misunderstanding on transit trade: When goods are transshipped in a third country,the transit port must be indicated on Form E,and the full set of through bill of lading shall be provided.Last year,a company under Director Liu had its Form E returned due to missing transit port information,which took 3 more days to re-apply.
• Response to origin verification: Raw material purchase vouchers and production records shall be kept for at least 3 years for verification by Vietnam Customs.Failure to provide relevant documents will result in supplementary collection of tariff difference.

III.Tax Refund Optimization and Foreign Exchange Collection Security for Non-staple Food Export to Vietnam

1.Control of Key Nodes for Export Tax Refund

The tax refund rate for non-staple food exported to Vietnam is usually 13%.To get smooth tax refund,the following points shall be noted:

• Consistency of VAT invoice and customs declaration form: The product name,quantity and unit must be fully matched,otherwise the application will be rejected during audit.
• Submit documents in time: Customs declaration form,input VAT invoice and export invoice shall be submitted within 90 days after export,otherwise tax refund will not be available.
• Declare under general trade mode: Avoid using name-delegated customs declaration,which is not eligible for tax refund application.

2.Risk Prevention for Foreign Exchange Collection Security

Vietnam implements strict foreign exchange control.Enterprises shall pay attention to the following points:

• Prioritize Letter of Credit (L/C) or Documents against Payment (D/P): Payment is guaranteed by banks to reduce the risk of buyer default.
• Verify the credibility of importers: Check enterprise registration information on the official website of Vietnam Industry and Commerce Administration,and avoid cooperation with unqualified enterprises.
• Purchase export credit insurance: The insurance covers political risks such as tightened foreign exchange control,and commercial risks such as buyer’s payment arrears.

IV.Core Advantages of Zhongshitong Non-staple Food Export to Vietnam Agency Service

Headquartered in Shanghai,Zhongshitong has nationwide port coordination capacity,which supports cross-port declaration at ports including Guangzhou,Shenzhen,Ningbo,etc.with no need for enterprises to be present in person.We have maintained over 10-year cooperation with local customs clearance agents in Vietnam,so we can handle unexpected issues at the port of destination rapidly.

In 2025,we helped a Ningbo-based enterprise export frozen dumplings to Vietnam.We completed Form E and health certificate application in advance,and the goods were cleared within 24 hours upon arrival at port,which is 30% faster than the industry average.Our risk control team reviews all documents in advance,to avoid cargo detention caused by label or certificate issues,and save demurrage fees and rectification costs for clients.

Risk Warning: The demurrage fee at Vietnamese ports ranges from 100 USD to 200 USD per day,and delayed customs clearance will generate high extra costs.We will remind enterprises to prepare all required documents in advance to ensure fast release.Some other agencies charge high document exchange fees,while we specify all expense details in the contract to avoid hidden charges.