Vietnam is considering an electronic identity requirement for domestic organizations and individuals that buy or sell goods with foreign partners through e-commerce platforms.
The measure appears in proposed amendments to the country’s Customs Law presented to the National Assembly by Finance Minister Ngo Van Tuan. The draft would expand the list of parties treated as customs declarants to include e-commerce platforms, postal and express-delivery businesses, transit operators and other organizations involved in moving goods across the border.
Under the proposal, Vietnamese traders using digital platforms for cross-border commerce would need to complete electronic identity verification. The requirement is intended to give customs authorities a reliable link between an online account and the person or organization responsible for declarations, tax obligations and goods entering or leaving the country.
A majority of the National Assembly’s Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs supports the identity requirement but has recommended that verification occur once for each account. That approach would avoid making a trader repeat the same check for every transaction while preserving an authenticated account record for customs processes.
The committee also raised concerns about possible overlap with Vietnam’s E-Commerce Law. Legislators will need to define which platform operators and service providers are responsible for identity checks, what information must be shared with customs and how the rules apply when the platform or seller is located outside Vietnam.
The proposal fits a broader effort to make electronic identity a common access layer for public and regulated services. Vietnam has been expanding its national digital identity program under a citizenship and government-services plan. Banks have also been directed toward chip-based identity cards and electronic identity for customer verification.
Cross-border e-commerce presents a different challenge because a single shipment may involve a marketplace, payment provider, courier, customs broker, seller and buyer in several jurisdictions. A verified account could help consolidate responsibility, but implementation will depend on interoperability between commercial platforms and government identity systems.
The draft also calls for wider information sharing among the parties involved in e-commerce and logistics. The final legislation will need accompanying rules on accepted electronic identity methods, data retention and the circumstances in which customs authorities may request additional verification.
The National Assembly is reviewing the amendments during its first extraordinary sitting. The proposal may change before adoption, so the electronic identity requirement is not yet in force.
Sources: Tuoi Tre News
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
