The Vietnamese government brought a "national traceability system," under which the state centrally manages the origin of agriculture, forestry and fishery products, into full operation from July 1, 2026. At a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 30, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung called it "a major step toward the digitalization of agriculture" and emphasized the aim of protecting quality and reputation in major export destinations such as China, the EU and the US (reported June 30, 2026). The mechanism piloted with durian in the first half will expand its scope all at once from July. For Japanese importers and retailers, it means that an environment is taking shape in which origin information, previously confirmed through documents and interviews, can be traced directly via QR code.
From a half-year durian pilot to nationwide rollout
The backbone of the system is that records from each stage of production, processing, transport and distribution are consolidated on an official portal, "traceviet.mae.gov.vn," operated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE). By scanning a QR code issued by the Ministry of Public Security on a product, consumers and buyers can trace which farm and which production zone the item came from and what processes it has gone through. It is positioned as a foundation to prevent counterfeits and origin-switching and to meet the inspection requirements of export destinations.
From January 1 to June 30, 2026 was a pilot period narrowed to export-bound durian. Six exporting companies participated, attaching electronic certification labels to shipments that met the standards and verifying the operation. In fact, as of May 10, three containers of durian with fully recorded origin information had been exported to China. The half-year pilot was assessed as having "effectively supported the tracking of export shipments and enhanced transparency," which backed the nationwide expansion from July 1.
The system's spread, in figures
Just before full operation, as of June 12 the system had spread to 26 of the country's 34 provinces and cities. Registered items numbered 18,500 and categories reached 112, with 149 companies participating. On the production side, 547 farming households and 255 cultivation zones were already linked. It shows that a mechanism that began as a pilot of the single item durian already had a considerable base before going live.
| Item | Figures (as of June 12, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Provinces and cities adopting | 26 of 34 provinces and cities |
| Number of registered items | 18,500 |
| Number of categories | 112 categories |
| Number of participating companies | 149 companies |
| Participating farming households | 547 households |
| Registered cultivation zones | 255 zones |
Items and participating companies expanding from July
MAE has indicated a policy of expanding the scope from July 1 to major items such as rice, meat, chicken eggs, milk, pineapple, passion fruit and tea. Companies expected to participate include names such as the major seed company ThaiBinh Seed, rice producer Loc Troi, food major Masan, and livestock firm Dabaco. The design is to organize data in a form where "once registered, it can be used many times," covering not only high-value fruits like durian but also rice, livestock products and processed raw materials. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung explains this idea of "declare once, use for many purposes" as a principle for avoiding data duplication and maximizing efficiency.
This expansion of items does not stop at being a story merely for fruit media. the case of boiled eggs shipped for the first time to Japan, with its strict hygiene standards, Vietnamese supply to Japan is spreading into processed goods and livestock products. The system extending its scope to rice, eggs and dairy means that a foundation is being created to mechanically extract origin information for these items as well.
Why origin tracking is being rushed now
Behind the system starting with durian is the reality of exports. While China accounts for about 90% of Vietnamese durian exports, that same China tightened inspections for residues and the like, and at one point customs stagnation and a drop in export volume occurred. If origin and production zones cannot be clearly shown, you get held up in the largest market—this pain accelerated the move toward a nationwide tracking foundation. The system adopts GS1 international standards and blockchain, aiming for a form that customs and buyers in export destinations can easily cross-check.
Conversely, the gap between producers who can properly provide origin information and those who cannot becomes clear under the system. For Japanese buyers, even for the same Vietnamese product, "whether it is registered on traceviet" can become one axis of purchasing decisions. It is a trend in which not only price and variety but traceability itself is built into procurement selection criteria. In reading durian's market prices and how to read sourcing too, whether or not there is compliance with this system will become a variable going forward.
How Japanese buyers' operations will change
Until now, origin verification on the Japanese side has centered on combining certificates from exporters, origin declarations, and interviews with local suppliers. If the state-run tracking portal functions, three practical changes will arise in this verification process.
First, the primary verification of origin can be done on your own via QR. If, during a deal, you read a sample's QR and can see on the spot whether the farm, production zone and processes are registered on the public portal, you can narrow down candidates without waiting for documents to arrive. Second, the cost of audits and trace-back responses falls. Retrospective investigation when a problem arises with imported food has conventionally taken time in back-and-forth via the exporter, but if records remain at the production-zone level, identifying the scope of impact becomes faster. Third, one more axis for selecting suppliers is added. By adding "whether it is registered" and "up to which stage records remain" to purchasing criteria, it becomes easier to assess supply stability and compliance capability in advance.
On the other hand, it is too early for Japanese practitioners to rely on it fully right away. The system is in its early operation, and the coverage of items and companies is at a stage that will build up from here. Practical issues also remain, such as the readability of the portal's entries in English and Japanese, and their consistency with the certifications required by Japanese import procedures. For now, it is realistic to use conventional certificates and QR cross-checking together, and to use "whether it is registered" as a bonus factor. Given that the tightening of inspections for exports to China triggered the system's development, the same trend for Japan—traceability being built into trading conditions—can well be expected.
Implications for procurement strategy
The system's main aim is to secure trust in export markets. The structure in which China is overwhelmingly the largest will not change for now, but in markets that demand high quality and high freshness, such as Japan, traceability also becomes material for explaining a price premium. A product recorded down to the production zone can tell, at the storefront, "where and by whom it was made."the tug-of-war between the China shift seen in seafood and Japanese procurement just as with that, the development of a tracking foundation is also directly linked to the production side's strategy of "which market to sell to, and at which quality tier."
The practical move for Japanese import and retail is clear. Ask Vietnamese suppliers you are dealing with or considering about their traceviet registration status and covered items. If registered, keep the production-zone code in your transaction records; if not, ask about their plans for future compliance. This bit of extra effort will determine the quality of your sourcing when the system becomes firmly established. The single QR code that began with durian is rewriting the very practice of origin verification.
Sources
Tuoi Tre News: Vietnam launches national farm produce traceability system, pilots durian tracking
VietnamPlus: Agricultural traceability system expands to 26 provinces, cities
