According to Nguyen Van Long, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology, around 18,500 products across 112 agricultural, forestry, and fisheries product groups have so far been recorded on the traceability platform.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently announced that, as of the end of May 2026, the National Product Traceability System had authenticated more than one million product codes. However, this figure represents only a small fraction of the total volume of goods currently circulating on the market. As a result, both ministries are gradually tightening oversight of goods in circulation beginning July 1, 2026.
Under new regulations issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, product groups classified as “high-risk” will be required to implement traceability measures before being allowed onto the market starting January 1, 2027.
This means that products ranging from rice, vegetables, and mangoes to shrimp and fish must be able to answer basic questions: Where were they produced? Who produced them? What production process was used? Through which stages have they passed?
In other words, every product will need its own “identity card” before it can circulate in the domestic market, rather than simply being sold once a buyer is found.
Without such an identity, products will face significant obstacles in accessing modern distribution channels. For goods subject to mandatory traceability requirements, the inability to prove origin could create major barriers to participation in the domestic market.
Export markets impose even stricter requirements. Without a “passport”, Vietnamese goods will struggle to reach international consumers. These requirements are not unique to Vietnam but reflect growing demands from consumers worldwide.
A profound transformation is therefore underway, although many producers may not yet fully appreciate its scale. The era when goods could simply be produced and sold is gradually coming to an end.
A new era is emerging in which the value of a product lies not only in the product itself but also in the information attached to it. Beyond price, a product’s history and origin are becoming the key factors determining whether it can enter the market.
For many years, Vietnamese products were evaluated primarily on appearance, price, and perceived quality. In the digital age, however, those criteria alone are no longer sufficient.
To remain competitive and sustainable, products must also be able to demonstrate their provenance. As markets evolve, competition is increasingly shifting away from price and toward transparency.
