Vietnam goods labeling rules for products sold locally

Vietnam goods labeling rules now sit in Decree No. 37/2026/ND-CP, which the Government issued on 23 January 2026. It took effect the same day. It replaced Decree 43/2017/ND-CP on goods labels and Decree 111/2021/ND-CP, which had amended it. If you sell goods in Vietnam, check your labels against the new decree.

This note is general information, not legal advice. Check the official text, and any guiding rules, before you print labels.

What the decree changed

The old labeling rules no longer apply. Decree 37/2026 also replaced Decree 132/2008/ND-CP on goods labels. The new decree implements the Law on Product and Goods Quality.

The best known change is the electronic label, or e-label. It is a data carrier on or with the product or its commercial packaging. The decree also sets a minimum character size for mandatory information. Both are covered below.

Sources: EY Vietnam, Customs and Global Trade Alert, 24 March 2026 (ey.com); Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026 (gvlawyers.com.vn).

What a label must show

Three items matter most. They are the product name, the name and address of the organization or person responsible for the product, and the origin of the product. Even small goods that cannot fit everything must show these three on the physical label.

Other items depend on the product and its risk level. For food, one local law firm says production and expiry dates must follow a day, month, year order, and that warning information must be on the physical label of medium and high risk goods. We checked this only against that one summary, so read the decree for your own product group.

Origin is shown with a phrase such as "made in" or "product of", followed by the country. If the origin is unclear, the same firm says the label must state the final processing location. The EY alert says abbreviations of the country name are allowed under the standard TCVN 7217-1.

Sources: Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026; Viet An Law, "Vietnam Food Labeling 2026" (vietanlaw.com); EY Vietnam, March 2026.

Character size and small goods

Mandatory information must be shown at a minimum character size of 0.9 mm. This is a new, measurable test, so re-measure your current labels.

Some goods are too small to carry everything. The decree treats goods as small when they cannot show all mandatory information at 0.9 mm. Such goods must still show the product name, the responsible party and the origin on the physical label. The rest can go in accompanying documents or in an e-label.

Sources: EY Vietnam, March 2026; Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026 (Articles 37.3 and 37.4 of Decree 37/2026).

Imported goods

An imported product must show its name, its origin (or the place of final production), and the full or short name and address of the foreign maker or responsible party. If the original label lacks the full name and address, they must appear in accompanying documents or in the shipment papers.

A Vietnamese-language product label must also be added before the goods are circulated in the Vietnamese market. The importer should plan this step before goods leave the warehouse.

E-labels do not apply to imported goods, according to the EY alert. A product that is too small for the required text still needs the information on a physical label on the packaging.

Sources: Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026; EY Vietnam, March 2026.

E-labels and online sales

Businesses may now use e-labels to show part of the required information on medium and high risk goods. For low risk goods, an e-label may carry all of it. The e-label must sit in a clearly visible place, and shoppers must be able to reach it when they pick a product. The content must be kept for at least 12 months after the product expires.

Online sellers have a duty too. Sellers on e-commerce platforms in Vietnam must show the full label content, and any e-label, on the listing. Platform operators must make sure listings carry this information.

Sources: Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026 (Articles 41.5, 41.6, 52 and 53 of Decree 37/2026); EY Vietnam, March 2026.

Transition dates

Goods made, imported or circulated before 23 January 2026 may stay on sale until their shelf life ends. Labels and packaging legally printed before that date may be used until the date shown on them, or for up to two years from 23 January 2026. That is the outer limit.

Labels that show an old address after an administrative boundary change may also be used for two years from the date of that change. This applies when the responsible party stays the same, there is no confusion and traceability is kept.

A simple plan helps. List every product, check the three core items, measure the text, and set a date to retire old stock labels.

Sources: EY Vietnam, March 2026; Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Update, February 2026 (Articles 98.3 to 98.5 of Decree 37/2026).

Sources

EY Vietnam, "Updated labelling requirements under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP", 24 March 2026. Global Vietnam Lawyers, Legal Newsletter No. 02.2026, February 2026. Viet An Law, "Vietnam Food Labeling 2026: Comply with new regulations under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP".