Vietnam Requires Local After-Sales Pledge for Trucks

On June 1, 2026, a new Vietnamese requirement took effect for newly admitted imported heavy trucks of 12 tonnes and above. The rule is particularly relevant to heavy truck importers, Chinese vehicle manufacturers, KD exporters, authorized service providers, and port-related compliance operators because it links import acceptance directly with localized after-sales service commitments.

Event Overview

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Notice No. 28/2026/TT-BCT on May 31, 2026. According to the notice, from June 1, 2026, all newly admitted imported heavy trucks with a gross weight of 12 tonnes or above must be accompanied by a Localized After-Sales Service Commitment signed by an authorized service institution in Vietnam.

The commitment must cover a 24-month or 200,000-kilometre warranty, a 48-hour spare parts response mechanism, remote diagnostic access, and Vietnamese-language technical manuals. Imported heavy trucks that do not submit the required commitment will be refused acceptance at Hanoi Port and Ho Chi Minh City New Port.

The publicly available information indicates that the requirement directly affects the delivery compliance of Chinese complete vehicle manufacturers and KD exporters shipping heavy trucks to Vietnam.

Which Industry Segments Are Affected

Chinese Complete Vehicle Manufacturers

Chinese heavy truck manufacturers are directly affected because the new requirement ties vehicle import acceptance to localized after-sales capability in Vietnam. The impact is not limited to product shipment documents; it also concerns whether the manufacturer can coordinate with a Vietnam-authorized service institution before delivery.

From an industry perspective, manufacturers need to pay closer attention to whether warranty coverage, technical documentation, remote diagnostic access, and spare parts response arrangements can be documented in a form that meets the new import requirement.

KD Exporters and Assembly-Linked Export Businesses

KD exporters are affected because the notice specifically relates to newly admitted imported heavy trucks and the compliance of deliveries to Vietnam. If the required after-sales commitment is not prepared in advance, shipments may face acceptance risks at the named ports.

Analysis shows that the operational pressure for KD exporters may be concentrated in pre-shipment documentation, coordination with Vietnamese authorized service institutions, and confirmation of whether the exported product configuration is covered by the required warranty and service commitments.

Vietnam Importers and Direct Trade Companies

Vietnam-based importers and direct trade companies may become the practical coordinators between overseas suppliers, local service institutions, and port acceptance procedures. Their exposure comes from the fact that missing or incomplete after-sales commitment documents can affect the handover process at Hanoi Port and Ho Chi Minh City New Port.

Observably, importers need to verify not only commercial documents but also the service commitment package before arranging import delivery. The requirement makes after-sales readiness a front-end import compliance item rather than a post-sale operational matter.

Authorized Service Institutions in Vietnam

Authorized service institutions in Vietnam are important because the commitment must be signed by such an institution. Their role may become more central in supporting imported heavy truck compliance, especially in warranty response, spare parts response, remote diagnostics, and Vietnamese-language technical documentation.

From an industry perspective, these institutions may need to ensure that any commitment they sign can be supported by actual service capacity and documentation alignment with overseas manufacturers or exporters.

Port, Logistics, and Compliance Service Providers

Port-related operators and compliance service providers are affected because the notice specifies refusal of acceptance at Hanoi Port and Ho Chi Minh City New Port if the required commitment is not submitted. This creates a clear compliance checkpoint in the logistics chain.

Analysis shows that freight forwarders, customs coordination teams, and document service providers should treat the Localized After-Sales Service Commitment as a required import acceptance document for the affected heavy truck category, rather than as an optional business attachment.

What Companies and Practitioners Should Watch and How to Respond

Confirm Whether the Product Falls Within the Affected Category

Companies should first verify whether the vehicles involved are newly admitted imported heavy trucks of 12 tonnes or above. This is the central scope described in the notice, and it determines whether the Localized After-Sales Service Commitment is required.

Current attention should focus on shipment batches entering Vietnam from June 1, 2026 onward, especially those scheduled for Hanoi Port or Ho Chi Minh City New Port.

Prepare the After-Sales Commitment Before Shipment

For affected vehicles, exporters and importers should coordinate before shipment with a Vietnam-authorized service institution capable of signing the required commitment. The document should cover the 24-month or 200,000-kilometre warranty, 48-hour spare parts response, remote diagnostic access, and Vietnamese-language technical manuals.

More appropriately understood as a delivery compliance requirement, the commitment should be checked before port arrival to reduce the risk of refusal at the receiving port.

Separate Policy Signals from Operational Implementation

The notice has taken effect, and the stated consequence is refusal of acceptance at Hanoi Port and Ho Chi Minh City New Port if the document is missing. At the same time, what deserves more attention now is how port-level document review and service commitment verification are implemented in practice.

Companies should monitor subsequent official explanations or implementation details, while avoiding assumptions beyond the published requirement.

Review Technical Manual and Remote Diagnostic Readiness

The requirement does not only mention warranty and spare parts response; it also includes remote diagnostic access and Vietnamese-language technical manuals. Exporters and manufacturers should therefore review whether technical materials and diagnostic access arrangements are ready before the shipment is declared for import acceptance.

From an industry perspective, incomplete technical documentation may become a practical bottleneck even when the commercial transaction itself is already arranged.

Editor’s View / Industry Observation

Analysis shows that this notice is more than a routine import document update for the affected heavy truck segment. It places localized after-sales service capability at the center of import compliance, especially for Chinese complete vehicle manufacturers and KD exporters delivering to Vietnam.

Observably, the rule is already effective from June 1, 2026, so it should be treated as an active compliance requirement rather than only a policy signal. However, the specific pace and method of implementation at port level still deserve continued observation.

From an industry perspective, the core issue is whether exporters, importers, and Vietnamese authorized service institutions can align documentation, service responsibility, spare parts response, diagnostics, and local-language technical support before the truck reaches the port.

Conclusion

Vietnam’s new requirement for a Localized After-Sales Service Commitment changes the compliance focus for imported heavy trucks of 12 tonnes and above. The industry significance lies in the shift from shipment-centered delivery to service-backed import acceptance.

More appropriately understood as an immediate compliance requirement with broader operational implications, the notice requires affected companies to prepare after-sales documentation, local service coordination, and technical support materials before delivery to Vietnam.

Information Sources

• Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade: Notice No. 28/2026/TT-BCT, issued on May 31, 2026.
• Provided event information on the June 1, 2026 implementation requirement for imported heavy trucks of 12 tonnes and above.

Items for continued observation: subsequent official explanations, port-level document review practices at Hanoi Port and Ho Chi Minh City New Port, and practical implementation details for authorized service institution commitments.