en.Wedoany.com Reported - Vietnam Customs Director General Nguyen Van Tho and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in electronic data exchange on the sidelines of the 147th/148th Sessions of the World Customs Organization Council in Brussels, Belgium.
The signing of this memorandum marks a new step in cooperation between the two customs administrations in the field of cross-border trade data, aiming to facilitate trade, strengthen supply chain security, and promote bilateral trade relations in a balanced and sustainable direction. Since Vietnam and the United States elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2023, economic and trade ties have continued to grow strongly. The U.S. is currently Vietnam's largest export market and also its seventh-largest trading partner. Data shows that bilateral trade turnover reached $172.3 billion in 2025. From January 1 to June 18, 2026, total bilateral trade reached $89.58 billion, a year-on-year increase of 23.1%. The rapid expansion of trade scale requires the two customs administrations to strengthen cooperation, both to facilitate legitimate trade and to ensure trade security, while effectively addressing economic and trade issues of mutual concern.
The two sides have maintained institutionalized information exchange cooperation since the entry into force of the Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) signed between the Government of Vietnam and the Government of the United States in December 2019, which took effect in May 2020. Under the framework of this agreement, the two sides have carried out various operational collaborations, including verifying suspicious points, preventing customs violations, and capacity building, achieving significant results. Recently, the two sides also held consultations on the implementation of a memorandum of initiative between the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding the exchange of electronic declaration and cargo transport information, laying the groundwork for this signing.
Under the newly signed memorandum, the two sides plan to share electronic cargo declaration data in real time or as quickly as possible. This data will be used for key identification, risk management, and preventing customs violations such as trade fraud, counterfeit goods, contraband, origin fraud, and tax evasion.
The electronic data exchange mechanism aligns with the global trend of digital transformation and relevant recommendations of the World Customs Organization. This mechanism helps enhance the ability to verify cargo information, detect fraudulent activities early, improve risk management efficiency, and reduce clearance time for compliant goods, thereby boosting the competitiveness of each country's products. The memorandum also reflects the willingness of both sides to cooperate in preventing origin fraud and illegal transshipment to evade tariffs, contributing to increased transparency and efficiency in customs management.
Vietnam Customs authorities stated that the implementation of the electronic data exchange mechanism will usher in a deeper and more substantive phase of cooperation between the two customs administrations, helping to ensure trade security, create favorable conditions for import and export activities, and promote the development of bilateral trade relations in a balanced and sustainable direction.
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