Image

Vietnam
Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT

Adaptation of the GHS in Vietnam

How is GHS implemented
in Vietnam?

Vietnam implements the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) through Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT with the aim of reducing the risk that chemical activity implies on people and the environment.

What is Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT?

Vietnam adopts the implementation of the GHS from the second edition onwards, through Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT which details and guides the implementation of a series of articles of the Chemical Substances Law 69/2025/QH15 and Government Decree No. 26/2026/ND-CP.

Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT entered into force on January 17, 2026.

The competent authority responsible for implementing chemical regulation in Vietnam is the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT).

Some chemicals are covered by other federal agencies, for example:

  • Cosmetics are regulated under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive (ACD), as Vietnam belongs to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
  • Pesticides are regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
  • Detergents do not have a specific regulation.

What are the most relevant points of Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT?

  • Both the SDS and label, must be in Vietnamese.
    • An emergency telephone number must be provided in section 1.4 of the SDS.
    • The SDS should follow the 16-section format.
  • There are three types of hazards for classification and labelling purposes: physical hazards, health hazards and environmental hazards.
  • Appendix XIX contains a list of hazardous chemicals in industrial products that require disclosure of information under the management of the MOIT.
  • For the category of chemicals requiring special control, the type of chemical and its intended use must be published in the sector database in accordance with the form in Annex XVIII.
  • General labelling follows the guidelines of Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP, which was amended by Decree No. 111/2021/ND-CP. For chemical products, it establishes that the quantity, date of manufacture and expiry, ingredients, chemical identification number, pictograms, prevention measures and instructions for use and storage must be provided. In turn, GHS directives must be followed.

What other chemical regulatory requirements apply in Vietnam?

  • The Chemical Substances Act 69/2025/QH15 is the basic law governing the management of activities, development, protection and safety of chemical products. It came into force on 1 January 2026; however, organizations that obtained authorization to produce and market products before that date may continue to operate under their license until it expires.

    To implement Law 69/2025/QH15, a series of pieces of legislation have been published:

    • Decree 24/2026/ND-CP: establishing in its annexes the following lists of chemicals regulated under the basic law:
      • Basic chemicals in key chemical industries (Annex I)
      • Chemicals subject to conditional production and trade (Annex II)
      • Chemicals requiring special control (Annex III)
      • Chemicals requiring incident prevention and response plans (Annex IV)
    • Decree No. 25/2026/ND-CP on the development of the chemical industry and chemical safety.
    • Decree No. 26/2026/ND-CP on the management of chemical activities and hazardous chemicals in products and goods. It establishes that a mandatory declaration must be made prior to placing them on the market for the first time.
  • The Vietnam National Chemical Inventory (NCI) establishes a list of chemicals existing in the country. Substances that are not listed are considered new and must pass a technical assessment before being marketed and monitored for 5 years for risk control supervision. Annex XII of Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT establishes the format for the registration form for new chemical products.
  • The transport of dangerous goods is governed by Decree 161/2024/ND-CP. Nine categories are established based on the physicochemical characteristics of dangerous goods. Circular No. 01/2026/TT-BCT, Annex XV, Part III, establishes the requirements for warning diagrams in the transport of hazardous chemicals: black frame and interior drawing, size 10x10 cm2 and background color depending on the figure.
  • Cosmetics are regulated by the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive (ACD) through Circular 06/2011/TT-BYT and updates such as Circular No. 34/2025/TT-BYT. The Department of Pharmaceuticals of Vietnam (DAV) – which in turn is governed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoH) – is responsible for implementing the legislation. Notification (not registration) must be made prior to import or sale by the authorized local representative. There are lists of prohibited/restricted substances with Vietnamese labelling requirements.
  • Pesticides are regulated under the Plant Protection and Quarantine Law 41/2013/QH13 and Circular 21/2015/TT-BNNPTNT on the Administration of Plant Protection Products, with updated lists of approved and prohibited plant protection chemicals such as Circular No. 03/2025/TT-BNNMT.
  • As for detergents, since they are considered chemical mixtures, they are governed by the Chemical Substances Law 69/2025/QH15 and Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP on labelling.

To ensure compliance with legislation it is important to have an effective tool.

SIAM offers Chemeter, an intuitive and user-friendly software software that automatically generates safety data sheets (SDS), e-FDS, ADR documentation, PCN dossiers and sector-specific documentation in accordance with the requirements of each country. So you can keep your documents up to date and comply with current regulations easily and effectively.

Experience Chemeter in action. Request your free demo and see how it simplifies compliance for your business.

siam

Newsletter

Please type your full name. Enter de company Invalid email address.