Army Equipment in Vietnam

Protective equipment is inspected on import in Vietnam, and the rule is stricter than for machinery. Section I of Circular 01/2021/TT-BLDTBXH names goods subject to state quality inspection on import: industrial safety helmets, welding goggles and masks, respirators, protective and dielectric gloves, protective and dielectric footwear, safety harnesses and fall-arrest systems, and heat- and flame-protective clothing. Several lines in an army or police order fall inside that list. Protective footwear and gloves are the obvious ones; a garment offered as heat- or flame-protective brings the inspection with it, a good reason to describe clothing accurately rather than dress an ordinary uniform in protective language.

Machinery sits one tier lower

Law 78/2025/QH15 and Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, effective 23 January 2026, abolished the old Group 2 goods model and replaced it with three risk tiers, and each ministry reissued its risk list from 1 July 2026. Under the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Circular 33/2026/TT-BCT, industrial machinery, equipment and materials is one of six medium-risk groups, and MOIT lists nothing as high risk. Medium risk means the declaration of conformity route, not mandatory third-party type approval. The lists are HS-coded in the appendices, so give the buyer the eight-digit code for each line and let them check their own tariff position.

A wireless module can be harder to clear than the device around it

Circular 36/2026/TT-BKHCN, also effective 1 July 2026, places radio modules on the risk lists, and Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands at 60 mW EIRP or above is classed high risk, requiring type approval and a declaration of conformity. A camera with an embedded wireless module is therefore worth checking separately from the rest of the consignment.

Labels are applied twice

Under Decree 43/2017, as amended by Decree 111/2021, imported goods must carry an original label bearing the compulsory content, with a Vietnamese supplementary label applied before they circulate. Declarations are lodged electronically in Vietnamese, and a certified translation of English documents can be demanded.

Form E, and where it fails

Vietnam's ACFTA schedule under Decree 118/2022/ND-CP covers 11,459 tariff lines at an average applied rate of about 3.05%. The preference needs the line to be scheduled, ACFTA-party origin, compliance with the direct consignment rule and a correctly issued Form E. Third-party invoicing and a mismatch between the issuing authority and the exporter are the usual rejection grounds. VAT is 8% until 31 December 2026.

Deep-water discharge is at Lach Huyen in the north or the Cai Mep-Thi Vai cluster in the south; Cat Lai serves Ho Chi Minh City but is a river terminal with draft and vessel limits. Tenders run through the Ministry of Finance at muasamcong.mof.gov.vn, an address that changed from the Planning and Investment domain in the 2025 restructuring. No after-sales network and no parts stock are maintained in Vietnam; warranty, installation and training are contractual rather than standing commitments.