Vietnam cancels pre-shipment quality inspection for imported fertilizers, fully shifting to a post-market regulatory system

World Agro-chemical Network China reported: Recently, according to Resolution No. 66.19/2026/NQ-CP issued by the Vietnamese government, Vietnam will officially abolish the national quality inspection procedure (i.e., "pre-inspection") for imported fertilizers starting July 1, 2026. This move marks a significant shift in Vietnam's fertilizer industry regulatory model, shifting the focus from pre-market approval to post-market risk-based supervision (post-market spot checks) and full lifecycle traceability. 
Fertilizers in Vietnam have long been subject to strict regulation, involving complex procedures for production, import, testing, and quality certification. This reform aims to implement the government's policy of simplifying business investment conditions and administrative approvals. The Vietnam Department of Plant Protection and Production noted that regulatory approaches are shifting from "product-based management" to "risk-based management." The core objective is not to lower product quality standards, but rather to reduce paperwork reviews and gradually transition toward a data-driven management model, thereby lowering compliance costs for businesses and shortening time-to-market for products. 
According to the latest resolution and related announcements, the simplification of this fertilizer regulation primarily includes the following key points:

Cancellation of import quality pre-inspection: The official has formally abolished the national quality inspection procedure for imported fertilizers at port entry. 
Introduce a self-assessment mechanism for conformity: For fertilizer products classified as medium risk, companies may conduct self-assessment based on test results from accredited laboratories and submit an electronic declaration of conformity. 
Relaxation of business and distribution requirements: The fertilizer business conditions stipulated under Article 42 of the Crop Production Act will no longer apply. Additionally, the validity period for fertilizer distribution authorization decisions will be significantly extended from five years to ten years, with renewal permitted; existing decisions still valid as of July 1st will automatically receive an additional five-year extension upon expiration. 
This reform will significantly improve the customs clearance efficiency for imported fertilizers. According to data provided by industry representatives, Vietnam's imports of NPK fertilizers alone exceeded 800,000 tons in 2025, involving numerous participating enterprises. However, concerns have also been raised within the industry about market fairness. Since domestic manufacturing plants still need to conduct sampling, testing, and sample retention for each batch before shipment, eliminating quality inspections at the import stage may spark discussions on consistency in regulation between domestic and foreign products. The Vietnam Fertilizer Association emphasized that removing administrative procedures does not equate to lowering technical barriers, and national technical standards remain the foundation of quality management. Going forward, the effectiveness of regulation will no longer depend on the number of pre-approval processes but rather on market surveillance, enforcement against violations, and traceability capabilities. 
July 1, 2026, marks a critical milestone in the restructuring of Vietnam's fertilizer regulatory system. Although the pre-shipment inspection requirement for imported fertilizers has been eliminated, Vietnamese authorities are accelerating the development of a fertilizer coding system, national database, and post-market monitoring tools. This means future compliance challenges will primarily focus on the ongoing surveillance phase after product launch. Relevant agrochemical companies should abandon the misconception of "relaxed regulation" and proactively establish end-to-end traceability systems to meet evolving compliance requirements in the new stage of agricultural development.