On April 16, 2026, Vietnam's new food safety decree "Decree 46" resumes trial enforcement. It is a revised version reflecting the lessons of the chaos right after enforcement began in January 2026, when more than 1,300 transport vehicles were stranded at the border and fresh agricultural produce was discarded or held up in large quantities. The shift to a new regime in which the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) consolidates control of food safety for vegetables, seafood, and grains is an important policy change that directly affects the export control of Vietnamese agricultural produce.
What is Decree 46: looking back at January's chaos
Decree 46 is a decree that reorganizes ministerial jurisdiction over food safety. Previously, food safety inspection of agricultural produce was divided among three ministries — the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Industry — but Decree 46 aims at a reform consolidating authority in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
But on the first day of enforcement in January 2026, the ground was thrown into chaos. At the China-Vietnam border, more than 1,300 transport vehicles were backed up, and fresh produce such as durian, mango, and vegetables was held up for days. The essence of the problem was twofold:
- Complication of documentation requirements: a new inspection certificate became required for exported produce, but the issuing regime was not in place
- Confusion in the transition period of ministerial jurisdiction: between the former ministries (Health and Industry) and MARD, the new jurisdiction, it was unclear at the ground level which handled what
| Problem | Impact |
|---|---|
| January border backlog | More than 1,300 transport vehicles, large-scale discarding and delay of fresh produce |
| Documentation deficiencies | Enforced before the export-certificate issuing regime was in place |
| Unclear ministerial jurisdiction | No judgment criteria on the ground, leaving customs brokers and farmers bewildered |
The April 16 resumed version: what changes
In response to January's chaos, the Vietnamese government suspended enforcement and reviewed the system. The main changes in the revised version resuming on April 16 are as follows:
1. Completion of authority consolidation into MARD (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development)
Food safety inspection of vegetables, grains, and seafood all comes under MARD's jurisdiction. The ground-level confusion of "which ministry to apply to" is resolved.
2. Building out the export-certificate issuing regime
MARD builds out issuing windows nationwide, enabling electronic application and online issuance. The issuance period, which had taken 2–3 days, is expected to be shortened.
3. Setting a transition period
A trial period (from April 2026) is set before full enforcement, building a regime that can reflect feedback from the ground. A design change to prevent a "premature start."
Concrete impact on Vietnamese produce exports to Japan
Vietnam's agricultural-produce exports to Japan have expanded rapidly in recent years. First-quarter 2026 agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports reached US$16.69 billion and Japan is an important export destination.
The enforcement of the revised Decree 46 has the following practical impacts:
| Impact item | Details |
|---|---|
| Export certificate | Issuing window consolidated into MARD, clarifying where to apply |
| Inspection procedures | Food safety inspection flow for produce unified, with simplification of paperwork expected |
| Customs lead time | If January's chaos is resolved, the export speed of fresh goods improves |
| Target items | Vegetables, grains, and seafood all unified under MARD jurisdiction |
Points agricultural businesses should confirm right away
Businesses involved in exporting and importing Vietnamese produce need to confirm the following from April 16 onward:
- Application window for the export certificate: for some items the former windows (Health and Industry ministries) can no longer be used
- Confirmation of the new format: the certificate format is updated to the Decree 46-compliant version
- Confirmation with customs brokers and local partners: during the transition period it is important to always grasp the latest local information
Durian's green-lane system As QR-code management advances, as in Cashew nut exports including this, strengthening the control of Vietnamese produce has become a major trend. The full operation of Decree 46 is an important institutional infrastructure toward this "digitization of produce quality and safety control." We will want to keep watching the operating situation from April 16 onward.
[Source]
Food Navigator Asia, "Vietnam's food safety overhaul moves forward after months of delay" (April 7, 2026)
https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2026/04/07/
Vietnam Briefing「Vietnam Addresses Implementation Bottlenecks Under Decree 46」
https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/
