Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade issues new mineral regulations

Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued two new circulars regulating the geological and mineral sectors.

Circular 54/2026/TT-BCT, effective September 15, 2026, governs the exploitation and recovery of minerals. For Group IV minerals in non-auction areas, organizations must obtain written approval from provincial geological authorities for survey and assessment activities. In competitive selection processes for non-auction areas, priority is given to applicants who submit complete dossiers first; if multiple applications are submitted on the same day, priority is granted to the entity with higher equity capital.

Circular 53/2026/TT-BCT regulates basic geological investigations and mineral potential assessments. It details requirements for national geological mapping at various scales, ranging from 1:1,000,000 to 1:50,000 for mainland areas. The regulation mandates the creation of specialized maps, including geophysical, geochemical, and geomorphological maps, while emphasizing the use of GIS technology, modeling, and digital database construction to synthesize geological and remote sensing data.