Vietnam - Draft Decree Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of Decree No. 26/2026/ND-CP Dated January 17, 2026 of the Government Detailing and Guiding the Implementation of a Number of Articles of the Law on Chemicals

​The Draft Decree consists of 27 Articles amending and supplementing a number of provisions of Decree No. 26/2026/ND-CP on the management of chemical activities and hazardous chemicals in products and goods.

The main amendments and supplements include:

- Clarifying the scope of application and specifying products that are not subject to Chapter II of Decree No. 26/2026/ND-CP, including certain pharmaceuticals, biocidal products, food, cosmetics, chemicals in medical devices, animal feed, veterinary drugs, plant protection products, certain fertilizers, radioactive substances, household products, petroleum products, batteries, fire-fighting equipment, construction materials, paints, printing inks, and certain finished products intended for end users;

- Clarifying responsibilities for state management of chemical activities among the Ministry of Industry and Trade, other ministries and ministerial-level agencies, and provincial-level People's Committees;

- Amending requirements applicable to facilities, warehouses and the storage of chemicals, including requirements for compliance with applicable national technical standards and technical regulations;

- Simplifying and amending conditions, application dossiers, competence, procedures and time limits for the issuance, re-issuance and adjustment of Certificates of eligibility for the production and trading of conditional chemicals;

- Providing for decentralization of authority to provincial-level People's Committees for the appraisal and issuance of Certificates of eligibility for the production and trading of conditional chemicals and certain Certificates of eligibility for chemical storage services;

- Amending licensing requirements and procedures applicable to chemicals subject to special control, including export and import licenses, and providing specific rules for the return export of chemicals to foreign organizations;

- Amending conditions and licensing procedures applicable to prohibited chemicals used for permitted special purposes, including analysis, testing, scientific research, medical and pharmaceutical purposes, criminal investigation, national defense and security;

- Providing exemptions from certain Certificates and Licenses for specified mixtures, internal filling or formulation activities, certain chemical storage services, small quantities of chemicals used in laboratories, on-the-spot export and import activities, and transactions between enterprises in export processing zones and domestic enterprises;

- Amending requirements for the provision, updating, sharing and synchronization of chemical management information through the specialized chemicals database;

- Amending information disclosure requirements for products and goods containing hazardous chemicals, and introducing requirements applicable to laboratories determining hazardous chemical content in products and goods; and

- Amending transitional provisions relating to licenses issued before the entry into force of the Draft Decree.