Vietnam to United States Trade Guide

Trade Relationship Overview

The United States and Vietnam do not have a bilateral free trade agreement — Vietnamese goods enter the US under standard Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff treatment, the same baseline rate that applies to most WTO member countries. What makes Vietnam attractive isn't preferential access; it's the absence of the Section 301 tariffs that apply specifically to Chinese-origin goods.

Since 2018, US imports from Vietnam have grown from roughly $49 billion to over $130 billion annually, driven almost entirely by manufacturers and importers relocating sourcing away from China to avoid Section 301 surcharges that now reach as high as 145% on certain product categories.

Tariff Rates by Product Category

Category	HS Chapter	US MFN Rate	China Comparison
Cotton Apparel	61	16.5%	41.5%+
Synthetic Apparel	61–62	32%	57%+
Footwear (Leather)	64	8.5%	33.5%+
Wooden Furniture	94	0–3.5%	25–30%
Electronics (Laptops)	84–85	0%	0–25%
Seafood (Shrimp/Catfish)	03	0–5%	varies + AD duties
Plastic Articles	39	5.3%	30.3%

Required Documents

Commercial Invoice

Must show FOB/CIF value, HS code, full product description, and country of origin.

Packing List

Itemized breakdown of cartons, weights, and dimensions per shipment.

Bill of Lading (B/L)

Issued by the ocean carrier — Original or Telex Release.

Certificate of Origin (Form B)

Non-preferential C/O confirming genuine Vietnamese origin — important given CBP scrutiny on transshipment.

ISF (10+2 Filing)

Required 24 hours before vessel departure from Vietnam.

Customs Bond

Single-entry or continuous annual bond for formal entries.

Shipping Timelines

Route	Transit Time	Mode
Ho Chi Minh City → Los Angeles	16–22 days	Ocean FCL
Hai Phong → New York/NJ	28–35 days	Ocean FCL
Hanoi → Los Angeles	4–6 days	Air Freight

🚨 Transshipment Risk

US Customs has increased scrutiny on goods claiming Vietnamese origin that are actually Chinese-made with minimal Vietnamese processing. Verify your supplier's genuine manufacturing capability — penalties for incorrect origin claims include retroactive duty, fines, and possible criminal referral.

Top Sourcing Hubs

Ho Chi Minh City / Binh Duong / Dong Nai — largest manufacturing cluster: textiles, furniture, footwear, electronics assembly
Hai Phong / Hanoi — electronics and machinery hub (Samsung, LG facilities)
Da Nang — growing textile and seafood processing hub

Common HS Codes for This Route

6109.10 Cotton T-Shirts 16.5%

6403.91 Leather Footwear 8.5%

9403.30 Wooden Furniture 0–3.5%

8471.30 Laptops 0%

0306.17 Frozen Shrimp 0%

For a complete classification lookup, use our HS Code Lookup tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Vietnam have a free trade agreement with the US?

No. Vietnam trades with the US under standard MFN tariff treatment. The cost advantage versus China comes from avoiding Section 301 surcharges, not from preferential FTA rates.

How long does customs clearance typically take?

For compliant shipments with complete documentation, US customs clearance typically takes 1–3 business days after vessel arrival, assuming no inspection hold.

What is the biggest compliance risk when sourcing from Vietnam?

Transshipment — goods that are actually made in China but routed through Vietnam with minimal processing to claim Vietnamese origin and avoid Section 301 duties. This carries serious legal risk for importers.

Calculate your exact costs for this route

Enter your product details to get a full tariff and landed cost breakdown for Vietnam → United States shipments.

🎯 Tariff Impact Calculator 🚢 Landed Cost Calculator