Vietnam issues new decree to streamline rice import and export regulations

Vietnam has issued Decree 365/2026/ND-CP to regulate the import and export of rice, effective October 1, 2026. The new decree aims to streamline business conditions and reduce administrative burdens for traders.

Key changes include reducing the number of required business conditions from three to two. To qualify, traders must be legally registered and possess at least one specialized warehouse for storing paddy/rice and one milling facility that meets food safety and technical standards. The decree also shortens the processing time for issuing certificates from 15 working days to 10.

Notably, the decree provides exemptions for specific high-value products. Traders exporting organic rice, parboiled rice, or rice supplemented with micronutrients are exempt from standard business conditions, including the requirement for a business certificate, mandatory circulation reserves, and regular reporting responsibilities. This is intended to support Vietnam's strategy to increase the proportion of high-quality and specialty rice in the global market.

Separately, trade between Vietnam and Canada continues to grow, with bilateral turnover reaching 8.6 billion USD in 2025. In the first seven months of 2026, trade reached 5.9 billion USD, a 24.1% increase compared to the same period last year.