Industry and Trade News Summary, May 18, 2026

Today, May 18th, Construction Newspaper and many other online news sites published information: The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed a series of new streamlining measures.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just finalized the draft decree stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry, and has submitted the dossier for appraisal to the Ministry of Justice . Accordingly, after the 2025 organizational restructuring, the Ministry's structure will consist of 21 units. However, the functions and tasks of some units and subordinate agencies still overlap and are not clearly defined. Therefore, the Ministry will continue to review and streamline its organization to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

Previously, on May 2, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Trade sent a document to the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , and the Ministry of Finance regarding the implementation of the conclusions of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung at the meeting with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on April 22, 2026.

Energy sector

The online newspaper Dan Tri and many other websites reported: Officially from June 1st, all gas stations nationwide will only sell E10 gasoline.

On May 15th, the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development (Ministry of Industry and Trade) issued a document to key petroleum distributors regarding the implementation of the roadmap for distributing and using E10 gasoline starting from June 1st.

According to Circular 50/2025, from June 1st, unleaded gasoline (according to current national technical standards) must be blended into E10 gasoline for use in gasoline engines nationwide. E5 RON 92 gasoline can still be blended and used in gasoline engines until the end of 2030.

To ensure the implementation of the distribution and use of E10 gasoline from June 1st, petroleum wholesalers and distributors are requested to urgently develop implementation plans that are consistent with consumption needs within their distribution systems.

VTV published an article: Electricity consumption reaches new peak: People are advised to use electricity economically.

According to the National Power System and Electricity Market Operation Company Limited – NSMO (Ministry of Industry and Trade), on May 15th, the national electricity output reached 1.152 million kWh, setting a new record for 2026, equivalent to 103.6% of the record set in 2025.

NSMO affirms that the national power system is operating safely and stably, with power sources optimally mobilized to ensure continuous electricity supply and meet the increased load demand amidst widespread heatwaves across the country. Voltage across the power system and load levels of equipment are within permissible operating limits.

According to forecasts, from May 25th to May 30th, there is a high probability of a severe heatwave occurring in Hanoi, the Northern Delta, and North Central Vietnam, with temperatures exceeding 37°C. In accordance with Directive No. 10/CT-TTg dated March 30, 2026, of the Prime Minister on strengthening electricity saving and developing rooftop solar power, and to ensure the safe operation of the power system and optimize costs for electricity users, NSMO recommends that people use energy efficiently and effectively during the peak dry season of 2026, especially during the upcoming hot days.

Thanh Nien newspaper reports: A determined effort to illuminate millions of rooftops.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade aims to have 10% of government offices and 10% of households using rooftop solar power this year. If this target is achieved, thousands of megawatts of clean energy will be added to the national power grid, which is already under considerable pressure from socio-economic development needs.

Energy experts estimate that if the set targets are met, the amount of solar power added to the grid each year will be substantial, potentially reaching thousands of megawatts. This will help the national power system directly reduce peak load capacity by 3-10% during peak hot months.

According to experts, the urgent solution is to promptly issue a separate legal framework and pricing mechanism tailored to the specific operational characteristics of rooftop solar power systems with BESS (Balanced Energy Efficiency System).

According to expert Dao Nhat Dinh, the revised Power Development Plan 8 has considered additional investment in BESS (Building Energy Supply System) as a component of the national power source plan, aiming to reach 10,000 - 16,300 MW by 2030. However, in reality, BESS in rooftop solar power systems accounts for an extremely modest proportion. As of early 2025, the total installed BESS capacity in Vietnam will still be below 100 MW, while the development demand will reach over 16 GW in less than a decade.

Dr. Ngo Duc Lam, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Energy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), commented: "In recent years, our policies for developing renewable energy in general and rooftop solar power in particular have been quite good. However, rooftop solar power has the unique characteristic of depending on the intensity of sunlight, so it has an advantage in the South and Central regions compared to the North."

Import and export sector

The Vietnam+ website reports: Vietnamese durian receives good news from the billion-person Indian market.

New regulations on phytosanitary certificates from India are seen as a positive sign for Vietnamese durian exports. According to India's new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) notice, the country is drafting amendments to its phytosanitary regulations for imported plants, under which fresh durian from Vietnam will no longer require additional declarations on its phytosanitary certificate and will not be subject to special import conditions.

This information was released by the Vietnam SPS Office in its updated report on food safety and plant and animal quarantine measures from May 1st to May 15th for WTO members.

This is seen as a positive sign for Vietnam's durian industry, helping to reduce bureaucracy and facilitate exports.

However, the regulations are still in the public consultation phase until July 3rd, so businesses need to continue monitoring them before implementing major trade plans with this market.

India is the second-largest market after China, with a population of over a billion. Therefore, the fact that Vietnamese durian has met the technical requirements to access this market is a very positive sign.

The website thesaigontimes.vn published an article titled: Digitizing data to 'remove bottlenecks' for fruit exports.

The "gaps" in managing planting area codes and packaging facilities create significant obstacles to tracing the origin of exported fruits. Therefore, standardizing management processes through data digitization is seen as a solution to overcome bottlenecks in fruit exports.

At a recent online conference on "Addressing difficulties and obstacles in granting and managing planting area codes, packaging facility codes, and inspection of exported fruits and vegetables," Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung stated that the fruit and vegetable industry expects to achieve an export turnover of 10 billion US dollars this year. Of this, durian is expected to bring in 4.5 billion US dollars, contributing to the overall export target of 74 billion US dollars for the entire agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector.

However, many shortcomings in local management have become apparent as import markets tighten technical barriers. "Without a planting area code and without passing quality tests, it's impossible to export," Mr. Dung said, adding that many localities lack manpower and haven't paid enough attention to this issue.

E-commerce sector

According to the Labor Newspaper: The government encourages the development of new e-commerce business models.

From July 1st, the Law on E-commerce came into effect. This law stipulates that the State encourages the development of new types and models of e-commerce business.

This law stipulates policies for the development of e-commerce; e-commerce platforms and the responsibilities of organizations and individuals in e-commerce activities; e-commerce with foreign elements; the responsibilities of organizations providing e-commerce support services; and the application of technology in managing and handling violations in e-commerce.

The Law on E-commerce dedicates a chapter to regulating policies for the development of e-commerce.

Through this, the State has mechanisms and policies to develop the domestic e-commerce market, promote the circulation of goods and services, enhance competitiveness, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and other entities participating in e-commerce activities.

The online newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong published an article titled: Shopee and TikTok Shop continuously increase fees, is the price war on the platforms about to end?

Faced with pressure from rising fees, e-commerce sellers are having to choose between keeping prices the same or raising them to ensure profitability.

The recent simultaneous increase in selling fees by Shopee and TikTok Shop is putting additional pressure on many sellers on e-commerce platforms.

According to announcements from the platforms, the increase ranges from approximately 2% to 4% depending on the product category, bringing the total cost borne by sellers to more than 25% of revenue when including advertising, affiliate marketing, operations, and return costs.

Many retailers say they are facing a difficult dilemma: should they keep prices the same to retain customers, or raise prices to ensure profitability in the face of shrinking profit margins?

Tags: Industry and Trade sector, e-commerce, import and export, E10 gasoline

Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/diem-bao-nganh-cong-thuong-ngay-18-5-2026.html