This legislation marks a significant breakthrough in risk management and digital transformation in product quality control. The law lays a strong legal foundation to ensure consumers’ rights to safe, high-quality, and transparent goods.

A major innovation in the amended law is the shift from administrative management to risk-based regulation. Under Article 5, products are now classified into three risk levels: low, medium, and high. These levels are determined based on potential harm to human health and the environment, supply chain controllability, and alerts from international organizations.

Depending on the assessed risk level, products will be subject to varying degrees of regulatory control, ranging from self-declared standards to compulsory conformity certifications. This approach aligns with global practices and helps Vietnamese goods expand access to regional and global markets.

Another groundbreaking aspect is the legal definition of a “digital product passport” under Clause 8, Article 3. This passport comprises data related to the product and its supply chain, stored in barcode format or other digital methods, accessible through electronic devices.

This change allows both consumers and regulators to trace product origins, manufacturing processes, and quality metrics with ease.

Especially for high-risk products, traceability is now mandatory, as per Article 6d. The implementation roadmap will be defined by the relevant ministries and agencies. The digital traceability system is expected to improve transparency, combat fraud, and boost consumer trust in domestic products.

For imported goods, the previous requirement for physical compliance labels will be replaced by electronic labeling on packaging or accompanying documentation.

The Ministry of Science and Technology also plans a complete digital overhaul of product quality management, aiming to strengthen post-market surveillance and efficiency. A unified national digital platform for product quality will be developed and maintained by the State, serving as both an official management environment and a working platform for all stakeholders.

This law mandates the creation of a national product quality data platform, which will link to the national monitoring system and specify responsibilities for data updating, access, and protection by businesses, regulators, and platform operators.

The risk classification and publication process must take place exclusively on this platform, ensuring transparency and facilitating centralized State monitoring using AI, while also enabling public oversight.

Previously fragmented across different ministries, product data will now be centralized, enabling more effective digital governance. The government will invest in the platform, and businesses will only need to connect - without incurring additional costs - making digital compliance mandatory.

Under this model, businesses must proactively publish product information on the platform, provide complete documentation on quality and safety, assume responsibility for published content, and cooperate with regulatory agencies for monitoring and post-declaration inspections.

Thai Khang