Ministry of Industry and Trade requires e-commerce platform Temu to comply with Vietnamese law

The Ministry of Industry and Trade assigned the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy to proactively contact the legal team of Temu exchange to request compliance with current Vietnamese laws.

On October 26, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien signed Official Dispatch 8598/BCT-TMĐT to units under the Ministry on strengthening state management of e-commerce.

The document stated that recently, cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein, 1688... have conducted business activities in Vietnam but have not registered their operations with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, attracting great attention from consumers in Vietnam and becoming a hot topic in many media outlets.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade directs to strengthen state management of e-commerce. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)

Warning to be careful when shopping on platforms like Temu, Shein, 1688

In order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requests heads of units to urgently organize the implementation of tasks.

In particular, in October 2024, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy is required to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to strengthen communication and guide consumers to be cautious when shopping online on cross-border e-commerce platforms in general and platforms such as Temu, Shein, 1688... in particular. In particular, absolutely do not conduct transactions with platforms that have not been confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to register at the e-commerce management information portal.

Advise the Ministry's leaders to report to the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Finance to study a plan to monitor and manage imported goods circulating through e-commerce platforms that do not comply with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

In particular, also in October 2024, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy must proactively contact Temu's legal team to request compliance with current Vietnamese laws, and if necessary, coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to have appropriate technical solutions to prevent.

Coordinate with relevant agencies of the Government Office to update the progress of issuing the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch; Coordinate with relevant agencies of relevant ministries and branches to implement. Implementation time: according to the progress assigned in the Official Dispatch.

In addition, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy needs to focus on effectively implementing the National E-commerce Development Program for the 2021-2025 period, including a number of key tasks such as: Coordinate with localities to develop a plan to implement digital transformation of traditional markets, support small traders to create new sales channels (multi-channel sales - both online and offline) to promote consumption of domestic products and goods; Coordinate with relevant units to continue organizing forums, conferences, seminars, training courses to improve digital transformation skills of people, businesses, cooperatives... through the application of social networking platforms, websites, livestreams to promote domestic trade as well as export abroad. Implementation time: in 2025.

Summarize and evaluate the National E-commerce Development Program for the period 2021-2025. From there, develop and submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation the National E-commerce Development Program for the period 2026-2030, creating a premise to continue orienting e-commerce development in the coming time. Implementation time in the first quarter of 2025.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade directed the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy to contact Temu to request compliance with Vietnamese law.

Monitoring and handling of warehouses of unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms

The Ministry of Industry and Trade also assigned the General Department of Market Management to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units, and the General Department of Customs to strengthen supervision, detection, and handling of warehouses and goods gathering points (if any) of unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms. This will be done regularly.

The National Competition Commission shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to strengthen the protection of consumer rights in cyberspace, take timely measures to disseminate information to consumers, and raise awareness of the risks when purchasing on cross-border e-commerce platforms.

In October 2024, the Legal Department will preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to review legal factors and propose solutions to handle illegal cross-border e-commerce platforms.

The Import-Export Department shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to propose a plan to control goods imported into Vietnam through e-commerce channels.

The Department of Trade Promotion is assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to propose solutions to handle promotional forms that do not comply with legal regulations on e-commerce platforms.

Consumers need to be cautious when transacting on e-commerce platforms that have not been registered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Strengthen inspection, examination and handling of violations

In November 2024, the Domestic Market Department shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies and units to assess the impact on the domestic market (if any) when foreign goods enter the Vietnamese market through cross-border e-commerce platforms.

Continue to promote the campaign "Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods" to promote consumption of Vietnamese goods and promote domestic production.

The Department of Science and Technology presides over and coordinates with relevant agencies and units to develop standards and regulations for goods under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to help businesses improve product quality, packaging and labels, build brands, and contribute to increasing consumer confidence and competitiveness for Vietnamese goods.

The units with inspection and examination functions under the Ministry need to strengthen inspection and examination activities, promptly detect and strictly handle violations in commerce, especially in the e-commerce environment. In the process of handling violations, problems related to handling mechanisms and regulatory legal regulations need to be reviewed and evaluated to recommend competent authorities to continue to improve and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement.

Industry and Trade Newspaper, Industry and Trade Magazine, Industry and Trade Television strengthen propaganda and warning work to raise awareness of consumers, the business community and the whole society in building and developing a healthy and sustainable e-commerce environment.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade requests heads of agencies and units under the Ministry to focus on urgently and seriously implementing assigned tasks. Information on the implementation results, difficulties, obstacles and proposed solutions will be sent to the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy for synthesis and reporting to the Minister.

See details here.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-cong-thuong-yeu-cau-san-thuong-mai-dien-tu-temu-tuan-thu-phap-luat-viet-nam-355056.html