Temu Exchange is not yet allowed to operate in Vietnam

There is currently no official information regarding when the Temu e-commerce platform will resume operations in Vietnam.

Licenses will only be granted if the application is complete and valid.

Speaking with a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper on the morning of February 10th, Mr. Hoang Ninh - Deputy Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) - stated that Temu is still awaiting approval to operate in Vietnam. According to regulations, the operating license will only be considered when this e-commerce platform has completed all necessary and valid documents.

In 2024, Temu caused a stir in the Vietnamese e-commerce market with its massive promotional campaign offering discounts of up to 70%, 80%, and even 90%. Additionally, Temu provided customers with the opportunity to earn "credits," which could then be converted into future purchases, along with free gifts. The game section also displayed a range of offers if users successfully registered with Temu.

The Temu e-commerce platform is currently not licensed to operate in Vietnam. (Illustrative image)

According to Decree No. 85/2021/ND-CP, foreign businesses and organizations with websites providing e-commerce services in Vietnam must register their e-commerce activities with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and establish a representative office in Vietnam or appoint an authorized representative in Vietnam.

However, upon review, the Temu e-commerce platform has not been licensed in Vietnam. This not only creates difficulties for domestic businesses but also poses many risks for consumers.

In carrying out its state management duties regarding e-commerce, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy contacted and worked with Elementary Innovation Pte. Ltd - the owner of the Temu platform - to request compliance with Vietnamese e-commerce laws as stipulated in Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP (amended and supplemented by Decree No. 85/2021/ND-CP) on e-commerce.

Mr. Hoang Ninh stated that, following proactive efforts by the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, Elementary Innovation Pte. Ltd. implemented several measures as requested by the Department, such as: Temporarily suspending e-commerce services in Vietnam (not using Vietnamese language when providing services on the Temu.com website and Temu mobile application); submitting registration documents for e-commerce service provision through the E-commerce Management Portal (online.gov.vn)...

Simultaneously, remove promotional programs that do not comply with Vietnamese law on trade promotion. All products and goods with discounts exceeding 50% will be removed in accordance with Government Decree No. 81/2018/ND-CP detailing the Law on Commerce regarding trade promotion activities and other relevant laws; remove programs and models that encourage users to participate in business to receive various bonuses and commissions in the Vietnamese market…

The head of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy added that after Temu temporarily suspended operations, orders already placed were also halted from being delivered to Vietnam. The application was required to issue an apology and implement a refund policy for customers. To date, Temu has fully refunded customers as requested by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Tighten control over operations and protect consumer rights.

E-commerce and the digital economy in Vietnam continue to be one of the bright spots in socio-economic development in 2024, contributing over $25 billion, a 20% increase compared to 2023, accounting for approximately 9% of the total retail sales of goods and consumer services nationwide.

In the context of increasingly deep international economic integration, along with the rapid and dynamic development of e-commerce, Vietnam has become a new destination for cross-border e-commerce platforms. However, consumers are concerned about the price and quality of goods on these e-commerce platforms.

In fact, authorities also acknowledge that the management of e-commerce is still not strict enough, especially for cross-border e-commerce platforms. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the regulations in Decree 52/2013/ND-CP and Decree 85/2021/ND-CP basically cover regulations on e-commerce with foreign elements; however, there are no sufficiently strong binding sanctions for cross-border platforms that do not have a presence in Vietnam.

Furthermore, there are no regulations for coordination between relevant state management agencies such as customs, tax, and market management during the implementation process; there are no regulations for coordination in managing and supervising product quality, managing digital payments, or supporting ecosystems for cross-border e-commerce...

On the other hand, there are also no specific regulations regarding the responsibilities of intermediary service providers supporting e-commerce activities. This leads to a lack of management and supervision of the intermediary model. Without clear regulations on the responsibilities of intermediary units, organizations providing infrastructure and support services for e-commerce may not fully comply with regulations on security, service quality, and consumer protection. This could lead to an unsafe transaction environment, making it difficult for consumers and businesses to participate in e-commerce activities…

In light of this situation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is currently seeking opinions on the drafting of the Law on E-commerce and plans to include it in the National Assembly's legislative agenda for 2025 (to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and comments at the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly (October 2025) and passed at the 11th session (May 2026)).

The draft law has introduced additional management measures, clearly defining the forms of e-commerce activities, participating entities, their rights and obligations, and promoting decentralization and delegation of authority; it also requires platform owners to take additional responsibility for providing information on goods and services, classifying domestic or foreign goods sold on the platform, providing periodic information, and reporting on business performance on the platform…

In particular, those who conduct livestreaming or provide sales advice for goods and services in industries subject to conditional investment and business regulations are also specifically defined.

Previously, in Resolution 09/NQ-CP of the Government Conference with localities and the regular Government meeting in December 2024, the Government also requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to research and amend, within its authority, or propose to competent authorities to amend, legal documents on e-commerce to identify sellers on e-commerce platforms through VneID.

" This is not only a solution to improve the management and control of goods supply, product quality, and transactions in the online environment, but also to protect consumer rights, help trace the origin of sellers, and reduce the risk of fraud and counterfeit goods. Buyers will have more grounds to trust sellers, minimizing the risk of encountering counterfeit or substandard goods or fraudulent activities, " shared a leader of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy.

To protect consumer rights, the Ministry of Industry and Trade advises consumers to absolutely refrain from conducting transactions with unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms to ensure their legitimate rights and interests.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/san-temu-van-chua-duoc-phep-hoat-dong-tai-viet-nam-373106.html