Before selling Japanese products in Vietnam: five checks for import, wholesale and retail

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Before selling Japanese products in Vietnam: five checks for turning import, wholesale and retail rights into an operating plan

If you plan to handle Japanese products in Vietnam, the first question is not only what to sell. Separate the parts your company will undertake—importing, wholesaling, retailing and operating e-commerce—from the actual flow of goods, then check them against your licences. Mapping roles on one page before rushing into sales makes partner selection, inventory planning and social-media messaging easier to decide.

Decree 342/2026/ND-CP, covering goods trading and directly related activities by foreign investors and foreign-invested economic organisations, took effect on 18 October 2026. It replaced earlier rules and identifies activities that may be connected to a business licence, including retail distribution rights, import and wholesale rights for certain goods, logistics, commercial intermediation, and the management or operation of e-commerce social networks. The applicable rules vary by product, business model and investor circumstances. The following is therefore a practical preparation guide for discussions with relevant authorities or qualified specialists, not a conclusion on permits.

1. Break the sales journey into individual activities

“Selling Japanese products in Vietnam” alone does not show what needs checking. First, list the intended activities in order.

• Import from Japan or a third country
• Store goods after customs clearance in your own or a partner’s warehouse
• Wholesale to local companies or stores
• Sell to consumers through your own store, a consignment store or online
• Manage or operate a marketplace or e-commerce social network

Separate the activities your company will perform as a contracting party from those entrusted to a local partner. For example, sharing a product’s appeal on social media and taking an order from a consumer are not the same “sales promotion” activity. A one-page table assigning posting, ordering, invoicing, inventory, delivery and returns makes the scope review concrete.

2. Compare licences and registrations with the planned activities

Next, check the documents you hold, including your IRC, ERC, business licence and registered business objectives. Do not stop at a general understanding that importing or wholesaling is allowed. Compare the planned product, buyer and sales method with the documents.

Decree 342 links business licensing to retail, import and wholesale for certain products, logistics, commercial intermediation and the operation of e-commerce social networks. Do not make a final decision from company documents alone. Before sales begin, organise the questions for a Vietnamese legal, investment or trade specialist, or for the competent authority; doing so makes the consultation more efficient.

3. Share the product, trading flow and responsible parties on one page

For a first partner meeting, the following six items often advance the discussion more than a long company presentation.

1. Product name, origin and expected quantity
2. Importer and customs-clearance party
3. Storage location and temperature or quality-control conditions
4. Wholesale buyer or final seller
5. Party responsible for invoicing, delivery and returns
6. Who presents what on social media, advertising and product pages

This is not a substitute for a contract. It does, however, prevent a situation in which posts go live before the sales entity is clear. For local sales of Japanese products, alignment between product information, price and handover method gives confidence to both business partners and buyers.

4. Put sales information in place before focusing on social-media reach

When starting social-media marketing, prepare purchase-decision information before increasing the number of posts. At a minimum, confirm in Japanese and Vietnamese the product name, use, treatment of price, point of sale, inquiry channel, delivery or handover method and relevant notices.

If the operations team has to ask for product information each time, post approval also slows down. For each product, prepare a “product information sheet” with verified short descriptions, uses, permitted sales channels and claims that must not be used. This helps keep Japanese and Vietnamese post copy and store staff guidance consistent. Social media does not replace permits, but organised information reduces inquiries after sales begin.

5. Even a small test sale should not skip the sequence of checks

Test sales and limited-time events are useful ways to learn market response. Still, do not postpone checking the sales entity and transaction conditions because the quantity is small or because it is “only on social media.”

A practical order is: (1) organise the planned activities; (2) check the documents and roles of your company and partners; (3) prepare product and sales information; (4) test within the sales scope that has been confirmed; and (5) feed records of inquiries, returns and repeat orders into the next plan. This keeps legal, logistics and customer-acquisition issues separate even in the early stage of entering Vietnam.

Frequently asked questions

Q. If I can wholesale, can I also sell directly to consumers?

It cannot be decided uniformly. Checkpoints vary with the product, sales method, sales entity and the rights or permissions held. Before starting retail sales, ask a qualified specialist or relevant authority to review the current licence and planned trading flow.

Q. If we only introduce products through e-commerce or social media, is no check needed?

Promotion and the acts of taking orders or becoming the seller need to be organised separately. Clarify who handles orders, invoices, delivery and returns, and check the platform’s terms of use.

Q. What should I prepare first for a consultation?

Start with a one-page sheet containing the product list, planned sales flow, roles of the parties, documents held and the sales methods you want to confirm.

Vietnam market entry and the import, wholesale and sale of Japanese products require the trading flow and customer-facing information to be organised together. For pre-launch preparation, role confirmation with local partners and Japanese–Vietnamese sales information, see our Vietnam market entry & local coordination support and import, wholesale & sales support pages. Please share your situation through our contact form.

Sources

• Government of Vietnam, “Decree 342/2026/ND-CP: Regulations on goods trading and directly related activities by foreign investors and foreign-invested economic organisations,” issued 3 September 2026; effective 18 October 2026. https://chinhphu.vn/?classid=0&docid=219372&pageid=27160 (checked 29 October 2026)
• VIETJO, “New rules taking effect in October, including revised commercial-activity rules for foreign-invested companies,” published 30 September 2026. https://www.viet-jo.com/m/news/law/260929113422.html (checked 29 October 2026)