Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) issued Notice No. 34/MOIT-CT on May 10, 2026, mandating strengthened on-site verification of energy labels for imported printing equipment—including offset and digital inkjet presses. The new requirements introduce IEC 62601:2025 as the sole accepted test standard and explicitly reject legacy energy efficiency reports issued by China’s CQC or CNAS. This development directly affects exporters, importers, and logistics service providers engaged in the printing equipment trade with Vietnam—and signals a broader shift toward stricter technical compliance enforcement at Vietnamese ports.

Event Overview

On May 10, 2026, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) published Notice No. 34/MOIT-CT, effective immediately. It requires on-site verification of energy labels for imported offset printing and digital inkjet equipment. The notice specifies that testing must comply with IEC 62601:2025 and prohibits acceptance of energy efficiency test reports issued under earlier standards—even if certified by China’s China Quality Certification Center (CQC) or China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS). No transitional period is stated.

Industries Affected

Direct Exporters (especially SMEs)

Exporters of printing equipment from China and other countries face immediate operational impact: shipments may be detained or rejected at Vietnamese customs if label verification fails under the new protocol. SMEs—often reliant on legacy CQC/CNAS reports to meet cost and timeline targets—are disproportionately exposed due to limited in-house compliance capacity and tighter margins.

Importers and Distributors in Vietnam

Vietnamese importers must now coordinate pre-arrival verification readiness, including updated test documentation and physical label conformity checks. Delays in customs clearance are expected, increasing inventory holding costs and complicating just-in-time delivery commitments to local print shops and commercial publishers.

Supply Chain and Logistics Service Providers

Fulfillment agents, customs brokers, and third-party inspection firms handling printing equipment consignments must update their compliance checklists and staff training to reflect the IEC 62601:2025 requirement. Their service scope now includes verifying not only report validity but also alignment between declared test conditions (e.g., standby power, print-mode load profiles) and actual equipment configuration.

Key Actions for Enterprises and Practitioners

Monitor MOIT’s official guidance updates closely

Notice No. 34/MOIT-CT is the initial implementation directive; MOIT may issue supplementary circulars clarifying acceptable evidence formats, verification frequency, or exemptions. Enterprises should subscribe to MOIT’s public notices and engage licensed Vietnamese customs consultants for timely interpretation.

Prioritize verification readiness for high-volume export models

Focus testing and documentation upgrades first on best-selling offset and digital inkjet models—particularly those historically cleared using CQC/CNAS reports. Avoid batching all models into one retesting cycle; instead, map product lines against Vietnamese import volumes and compliance risk tiers.

Distinguish policy signal from operational reality

The notice mandates immediate enforcement, but field-level implementation may vary across ports (e.g., Ho Chi Minh City vs. Hai Phong). Initial inspections may emphasize documentation review over full retesting—yet enterprises should prepare for both scenarios, rather than assume phased rollout.

Update procurement and contract terms with upstream labs

Confirm whether current testing laboratories can issue IEC 62601:2025-compliant reports—and verify their accreditation scope covers the exact equipment categories and operating modes defined in the standard. Where necessary, revise purchase orders and quality agreements to assign responsibility for test report validity to the lab or supplier.

Editorial Perspective / Industry Observation

Observably, this measure is less a standalone regulatory change and more a concrete indicator of Vietnam’s broader alignment with international energy performance frameworks—particularly those referenced in ASEAN’s regional energy efficiency cooperation agenda. Analysis shows the timing coincides with Vietnam’s upcoming national energy labeling expansion plan (2026–2030), suggesting that printing equipment is among the first industrial product categories subjected to upgraded scrutiny—not because of sector-specific concerns, but as a pilot for scaling similar protocols to other machinery imports. From an industry perspective, it is better understood as an early-stage enforcement signal rather than a fully matured compliance regime; ongoing monitoring will be essential to assess whether verification becomes routine or remains selectively applied.

This notice underscores how rapidly evolving technical compliance requirements can reshape cross-border equipment trade—even outside traditional high-regulation sectors like automotive or electronics. Its significance lies not in scale or novelty alone, but in its demonstration of tightening administrative rigor at the point of entry: where documentation validity, test standard currency, and physical label integrity are now jointly decisive. For affected stakeholders, the most rational stance is neither alarm nor dismissal—but calibrated, evidence-based preparation anchored in verified requirements and observable port-level practice.

Source: Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), Official Notice No. 34/MOIT-CT, issued May 10, 2026. Ongoing observation is recommended for supplementary guidance, port-specific implementation notes, or potential amendments to the notice.