# Vietnam Apparel Labelling Requirements: Decree 37/2026

> Source: https://surajmal.com/blog/2026/07/vietnam-apparel-labelling-requirements

[SSL Newsroom](/blog) Compliance

# Vietnam Apparel Labelling Requirements Under Decree 37/2026

Kolkata · 22 JULY 2026 ·By Surajmal Editorial Team·10 min read

Published 22 July 2026

Vietnam apparel labelling is governed by Decree No. 37/2026/NĐ-CP. It repealed Decree No. 43/2017/NĐ-CP and Decree No. 111/2021/NĐ-CP. Article 42(1) provides: “Nhãn hàng hóa của các loại hàng hóa đang lưu thông tại Việt Nam bắt buộc phải thể hiện các nội dung sau bằng tiếng Việt: a) Tên hàng hóa; b) Tên và địa chỉ của tổ chức, cá nhân chịu trách nhiệm về hàng hóa; c) Xuất xứ hàng hóa; d) Các nội dung bắt buộc khác phải thể hiện trên nhãn theo tính chất của mỗi loại hàng hóa quy định tại Phụ lục I ban hành kèm theo Nghị định này và quy định pháp luật liên quan.” Article 42(2) adds: “Đối với hàng hóa nhập khẩu vào Việt Nam có nhãn gốc tiếng nước ngoài theo quy định tại các điểm a, b, c khoản 2 Điều này, tổ chức, cá nhân nhập khẩu phải thực hiện việc bổ sung nhãn hàng hóa ghi bằng tiếng Việt theo quy định tại khoản 1 Điều này trước khi đưa hàng hóa vào lưu thông tại thị trường Việt Nam.” For imported garments, the original physical label must separately show the product name, origin and the foreign producer’s or responsible person’s name and address at customs clearance. Article 44(2) then requires the producer’s and importer’s names and addresses for imported goods circulating in Vietnam, subject to its rule for goods made at multiple facilities under one brand. Annex I item 25 supplies the garment-specific content. [\[1\]](https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2026/01/37-1.signed.pdf "Source 1: datafiles.chinhphu.vn: /cpp/files/vbpq/2026/01/37-1.signed.pdf")

Treat the Vietnamese label as controlled production data, not as a last-minute translation.

For a common starting point on label version control across markets, see our [garment labelling guide](/blog/2026/06/garment-labelling-care-label-export-requirements).

## What does Decree 37/2026 require for imported apparel?

At customs clearance, Article 42(2) requires an imported good’s original physical label to show its name, origin and the name and address of the foreign producer or foreign person responsible for the goods. Before circulation in Vietnam, the importer must add Vietnamese content meeting Article 42(1). Annex I item 25 applies specifically to textile, garment, leather and footwear products. It requires composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, warnings, use and care instructions, and the year of manufacture. Under Article 44(2), an imported good ordinarily states the name and address of the producer and of the importer; the same provision permits the brand owner’s name and address, or that owner’s commercial presence in Vietnam, for goods made at multiple facilities under the same brand where the stated conditions are met. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

The label brief should therefore be built from the following fields rather than from a catch-all “responsible party” entry.

Label field [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Artwork control

Article 42(1) content

Approve the mandatory Vietnamese wording against the product record

Producer name and address

Match to manufacturing and commercial records, unless the Article 44(2) common-brand provision applies

Importer name and address

Match to the importing entity’s approved legal details where Article 44(2) requires it

Composition or quantitative composition

Match to the bill of materials and approved fibre content

Technical specifications

Match to the specification sheet for that style

Warnings and use and care instructions

Match to the product’s risks, handling and construction

Year of manufacture

Match to production records and the correct batch or season

For the ordinary imported-goods case, the producer and importer entries are separate mandatory facts. The production team should collect the full legal names and addresses early, especially where a buying office, brand owner, factory and importing entity are different organisations. Where goods are made at multiple facilities under one brand, apply the specific Article 44(2) provision on the brand owner or its commercial presence in Vietnam and maintain traceability to the manufacturing facility. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## Why a file built on Decree 43 needs rechecking

Decree 37/2026 replaced Decree 43/2017 and Decree 111/2021 from 1 July 2026. Use Decree 37 for new label artwork. Article 98 permits qualifying goods labelled under the earlier Decrees before Decree 37 took effect to continue in circulation or use until the expiry date shown on their labels, and permits qualifying labels and commercial packaging already produced or printed to be used for up to two years. A compliance file assembled before the change should therefore be checked against the applicable current or transitional rule, particularly in the two areas that matter most on a shipment. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

The first is the responsible party. A file written to the older framework typically carries one general responsible-party field. Article 44(2) ordinarily requires the name and address of the producer and the name and address of the importer. For goods made at multiple facilities under one brand, it instead provides a route to state the brand owner or its commercial presence in Vietnam, provided the conditions in that provision are met and the manufacturing facility remains traceable. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

The second is the assumption that textiles carry no product-specific label content beyond the general fields. Annex I item 25 names textile, garment, leather and footwear products directly and attaches composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, warnings, use and care instructions and year of manufacture to them. A label built on the general fields alone is incomplete. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Check the artwork against the current Decree before a sample is sealed, not after a container is booked, because both gaps are label-content gaps and both are cheap to fix at artwork.

## When must Vietnamese content be on the garment?

The deadline is before circulation in Vietnam. Article 42(2) requires the importer to add Vietnamese content meeting Article 42(1) before that point, after requiring an original physical label with specified information at customs clearance. Treat the pre-market release as the gate: label copy, translations and application must be completed before goods are sold or otherwise circulate in the Vietnamese market. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Where an imported good needs a supplementary Vietnamese label, Article 39(3) requires the original label to be retained. The supplementary label must be attached to the goods or their commercial packaging and must not obscure mandatory content on the original label. Plan the Vietnamese trim to sit alongside the original, not over it, and include those requirements in product specifications, purchase orders and inspection checklists. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

In practice, present the original physical label at customs with the Article 42(2) information. Where it lacks required Vietnamese content, retain it and add the full Vietnamese mandatory content by supplementary label before the goods go to market. Confirm the physical format and timing with the importer and customs documentation workflow for the shipment. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

At bulk sign-off, inspect the garment itself, not only a digital proof. Compare the Vietnamese wording with the approved style record, check the identities required under Article 44(2), including its common-brand provision where applicable, and check the item-25 content against the materials and production information. Keep a labelled retention sample with the applicable production records. This gives the buyer a direct way to catch a missing required identity, an out-of-date composition line, incomplete instructions or the wrong manufacturing year before the goods move to market. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## How should composition and technical specifications be handled?

Annex I item 25 reads: “Sản phẩm dệt, may, da, giày: a) Thành phần hoặc thành phần định lượng; b) Thông số kỹ thuật; c) Thông tin cảnh báo; d) Hướng dẫn sử dụng, hướng dẫn bảo quản; đ) Năm sản xuất.” Accordingly, textile, garment, leather and footwear products require composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, warning information, use and care instructions, and the year of manufacture. Freeze the bill of materials and style specification before translations are released. A fabric, blend or component change requires a review of the label record, rather than copying forward an earlier sample’s statement. [\[3\]](https://datafiles.chinhphu.vn/cpp/files/vbpq/2026/01/37-pl.pdf "Source 3: datafiles.chinhphu.vn: /cpp/files/vbpq/2026/01/37-pl.pdf")

Annex I item 25 does not prescribe a fibre-percentage tolerance, a size-designation system or a care-symbol standard. Do not describe any of those three matters as a Decree 37 textile-labelling requirement. Where the brand uses percentage tolerances, size conventions or a particular symbol set, control them as product, customer or commercial specifications unless another applicable instrument is identified. Their absence from item 25 does not remove the express duties to state composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, applicable warnings, use and care instructions, and year of manufacture. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## What should use, care, warnings and year of manufacture say?

Use and care instructions are mandatory content under Annex I item 25. Build Vietnamese wording from the finished garment’s materials, construction and supported care method. Symbols may be included, but a symbol set is not prescribed by item 25. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Warnings are also an Annex I item 25 field. Identify applicable warnings from the product’s actual characteristics and use, then add them to the approved Vietnamese copy. Keep that decision in the product approval file. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Year of manufacture is mandatory content for item 25 products. This is easily missed when labels are developed months before production. Assign ownership for it: the factory should confirm the production year from its records, and the importer or brand should make sure the released label artwork or variable-label process uses that year. If a programme crosses a calendar-year boundary, do not assume one season code resolves the requirement. Check the production record for the goods actually being labelled. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## Does textile chemical compliance still apply?

From 1 July 2026, QCVN 01:2017/BCT/SĐ1:2026 governs formaldehyde and certain aromatic amines derived from azo colourants in textile products before they circulate in Vietnam. The amendment places the covered-product list in Circular 33/2026/TT-BCT and requires covered textile products to be declared conforming, bear the CR conformity mark and be labelled. It is a separate technical-regulation issue from the label-content fields in Decree 37/2026. The apparel label cannot substitute for chemical-conformity evidence, and a chemical-conformity record cannot substitute for the required Vietnamese label content. [\[4\]](https://congbao.chinhphu.vn/van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm "Source 4: congbao.chinhphu.vn: /van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm")

Keep the chemical and label workstreams connected but distinct. Retain the applicable QCVN 01:2017/BCT/SĐ1:2026 conformity evidence with the product records, and use the same controlled product record for composition, specifications, warnings, instructions, year of manufacture and the applicable Article 44(2) identity information. A fabric or finish change should trigger both reviews. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## A practical approval sequence before bulk production

Start with the identity fields. For the ordinary imported-goods case, obtain the producer’s and importer’s legal names and addresses, and put each in its own controlled artwork variable. For common-brand goods made at multiple facilities, assess the Article 44(2) brand-owner provision and retain the evidence of traceability. Inspect the required Article 44(2) identity information on the physical garment. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Next, build an item-25 data sheet for each style: composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, applicable warnings, use and care instructions, and year of manufacture. The factory, buyer and importer should resolve differences in this sheet before printing. A composition statement taken from a development sample, an unapproved care line, or a year copied from an earlier production run creates a preventable mismatch between the garment and its records. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Then approve the Vietnamese label as it will exist before circulation. Review placement, legibility, wording and every mandatory field on the finished style. At customs, ensure the original physical label carries the Article 42(2) information; where required Vietnamese content is absent, retain that label and add the content by supplementary label before market release. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Finally, release bulk only after the product file and label file agree, and maintain the applicable QCVN 01:2017/BCT/SĐ1:2026 conformity evidence for the textile product. During final inspection, sample each style, colourway and label variant. Verify the applicable Article 44(2) identity information, Vietnamese content, product composition, specifications, instructions, warnings where applicable, year of manufacture, and the correspondence between the label and the production records. [\[4\]](https://congbao.chinhphu.vn/van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm "Source 4: congbao.chinhphu.vn: /van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm") [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## Short FAQ

**Must imported apparel have Vietnamese label content before it is sold in Vietnam?**

Yes. Before circulation in Vietnam, Article 42(2) requires the importer to add Vietnamese label content meeting Article 42(1). At customs clearance, the original physical label must also show the product name, origin and the foreign producer’s or responsible person’s name and address. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

**Can one “responsible party” line replace producer and importer details?**

Not in the ordinary imported-goods case. Article 44(2) requires the name and address of the producer and of the importer. For goods made at multiple facilities under the same brand, it permits the brand owner’s name and address, or that owner’s commercial presence in Vietnam, where its conditions are met and the manufacturing facility can be traced. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

**Does the label need composition and care information?**

Yes. Annex I item 25 requires composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, warnings, use and care instructions, and year of manufacture for textile, garment, leather and footwear products. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

**Does Decree 37 prescribe a fibre tolerance, size system or care-symbol standard?**

No. Annex I item 25 does not prescribe a fibre-percentage tolerance, a size-designation system or a care-symbol standard. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

**Must the original label stay visible?**

The original label must be retained, and its mandatory content must not be obscured. For imported goods whose labels lack required Vietnamese content, Article 39(3) requires retention of the original label. Article 40 requires a supplementary label to be attached to the goods or commercial packaging without obscuring mandatory original-label content. The original label must also be physical and carry the Article 42(2) information at customs clearance. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## The Vietnam label judgement

For ordinary imported goods, the first fields to lock are the producer and importer names and addresses. Where the goods are made at multiple facilities under one brand, apply the alternative Article 44(2) identity provision and keep the manufacturing facility traceable. From there, build the garment-specific content required by Annex I item 25: composition or quantitative composition, technical specifications, applicable warnings, use and care instructions, and year of manufacture. Ensure the completed Vietnamese label is on the product before circulation and that the original physical label satisfies the customs requirement. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

## Placing a Vietnam-bound programme

Send the tech pack, intended market, quantity, producer details, importer details and current label artwork when requesting a Vietnam-bound quote. Those inputs let the label record be built around the Article 42(2) customs information, the applicable Article 44(2) identity route and the item-25 product content before samples are cut. [\[2\]](https://congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn/180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf "Source 2: congbaocdn.chinhphu.vn: /180507251028987904/2026/2/10/37signed-1770718448911444649723.pdf")

Include the QCVN 01:2017/BCT/SĐ1:2026 textile chemical-conformity workflow with the product-quality file. Our [Southeast Asia](/markets/southeast-asia) page covers regional production planning, and our [private label](/services/private-label) programme is where label artwork and product records are set before bulk. [\[4\]](https://congbao.chinhphu.vn/van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm "Source 4: congbao.chinhphu.vn: /van-ban/thong-tu-so-37-2026-tt-bct-469932.htm")

Related pages

-   [Southeast Asia import guide→](/markets/southeast-asia)
-   [Private label→](/services/private-label)

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Surajmal Editorial Team

The Surajmal Editorial Team writes from inside a working textile export house in Kolkata, drawing on experience manufacturing garments, fabrics, and yarns for global retail buyers since 1968. Every article is reviewed by practitioners who source, sample, and ship the products they write about.

On this page

-   [What does Decree 37/2026 require for imported apparel?](#what-does-decree-37-2026-require-for-imported-apparel)
-   [Why a file built on Decree 43 needs rechecking](#why-a-file-built-on-decree-43-needs-rechecking)
-   [When must Vietnamese content be on the garment?](#when-must-vietnamese-content-be-on-the-garment)
-   [How should composition and technical specifications be handled?](#how-should-composition-and-technical-specifications-be-handled)
-   [What should use, care, warnings and year of manufacture say?](#what-should-use-care-warnings-and-year-of-manufacture-say)
-   [Does textile chemical compliance still apply?](#does-textile-chemical-compliance-still-apply)
-   [A practical approval sequence before bulk production](#a-practical-approval-sequence-before-bulk-production)
-   [Short FAQ](#short-faq)
-   [The Vietnam label judgement](#the-vietnam-label-judgement)
-   [Placing a Vietnam-bound programme](#placing-a-vietnam-bound-programme)

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