Effective June 15, 2026, Vietnam will implement a mandatory VR-MARK type approval regime for imported industrial pressure, temperature, and flow sensors. This new regulation directly affects Chinese sensor exporters, testing and certification service providers, and industrial automation supply chain players operating in Vietnam, marking an upgrade in Vietnam’s technical trade measures from voluntary compliance to pre-market access control.

Event Overview

On May 18, 2026, Vietnam’s Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) issued Circular No. 12/2026/TT-BKHCN, clarifying that from June 15, 2026, all industrial-grade pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors imported into Vietnam must obtain a VR-MARK type approval certificate. The certification must be conducted by a Vietnam-designated body (such as QUATEST 3) or its contracted international laboratories; CB reports, China CMA test reports, and similar documents are not accepted as a direct basis for approval.

Which Market Segments Will Be Affected

Direct Trading Companies

Chinese foreign trade companies and ODM/OEM exporters engaged in exporting industrial sensors to Vietnam will face a higher market access threshold. The impact is mainly reflected in the following: type approval must be completed before customs clearance, and companies can no longer rely on existing test reports for fast clearance; the certification cycle is expected to be extended by 4–8 weeks, and combined with Vietnam’s local testing requirements, this may cause order delivery delays and greater inventory turnover pressure.

Processing and Manufacturing Enterprises

Domestic sensor manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized factories, need to adjust their product development and submission-for-testing schedules. The impact is mainly reflected in the following: existing designs originally developed to CE or GB standards need to be supplemented with Vietnam environmental adaptability verification (such as long-term stability under high-temperature and high-humidity operating conditions); some products without reserved structural adaptation space for VR-MARK will require minor hardware adjustments, increasing BOM and mold management costs.

Supply Chain Service Companies

Companies providing export compliance consulting, testing and certification agency services, and integrated customs clearance and logistics services will face new customer demand for end-to-end VR-MARK service capabilities. The impact is mainly reflected in the following: they need to coordinate resources from Vietnam-designated bodies or their contracted laboratories, rather than only working with domestic third-party laboratories; the service chain will also extend to new steps such as type testing, document translation, and preparation of Vietnamese technical manuals.

What Key Points Should Relevant Companies or Practitioners Pay Attention To, and How Should They Respond Now

Confirm the Specific Product Categories and Technical Parameter Boundaries Already Included in the Regulatory Scope

At present, Circular No. 12/2026/TT-BKHCN only explicitly covers three categories of sensors: pressure, temperature, and flow, but has not publicly defined the specific thresholds for “industrial grade” (such as accuracy class, protection rating, and operating temperature range). Companies should continue to monitor the implementation details or FAQ subsequently issued by STAMEQ to avoid repeated submissions caused by misunderstandings.

Differentiate Between the Two Certification Routes: “Direct Handling by Designated Bodies” and “Cooperation with Contracted Laboratories”

Vietnamese local designated bodies such as QUATEST 3 can independently issue VR-MARK certificates, while their contracted international laboratories are only responsible for testing tasks, and the certificate must still be reviewed and issued by QUATEST 3. Companies need to confirm in advance whether the cooperating laboratory is included in the latest contracted laboratory list published by STAMEQ, and should not determine validity solely based on the laboratory’s international qualifications (such as ISO/IEC 17025).

Evaluate Which Models in the Existing Export Product Line Should Be Prioritized for VR-MARK Certification

It is recommended to cross-screen the first batch of models for submission based on three dimensions: “exports to Vietnam account for >15%”, “customer orders have been placed and are awaiting customs clearance”, and “high technical platform reuse rate”, so as to concentrate resources on completing certification for representative samples and avoid capital and time redundancy caused by advancing the entire series simultaneously.

Update Contract Terms and Delivery Lead Time Commitments

For orders involving the Vietnam market in foreign trade contracts, companies should simultaneously revise the “allocation of compliance responsibilities”, “certification delay exemption clause”, and “minimum delivery lead time” to avoid commercial disputes caused by uncertainty in VR-MARK certification progress; it is recommended to clearly disclose the additional VR-MARK lead time and cost allocation principles to customers at the quotation stage.

Editorial Viewpoint / Industry Observation

显然，这项法规与其说是一次突然转向，不如说是对既有趋势的正式化：Vietnam’s conformity assessment system is gradually aligning with ASEAN harmonized standards—particularly in industrial instrumentation where safety and measurement reliability are critical. Analysis shows that VR-MARK is not merely a labeling requirement but a gatekeeping mechanism targeting product lifecycle traceability and local technical oversight capacity building. It is currently more a signal of regulatory maturation than an immediate barrier; however, its mandatory enforcement from June 2026 means companies without prior engagement with Vietnamese certification pathways will face tangible operational friction. The need for sustained attention lies not in potential future expansions (e.g., to level or humidity sensors), but in how STAMEQ interprets and enforces the current scope—especially regarding borderline cases like integrated multi-parameter transmitters.

Conclusion: this new regulation is not an isolated escalation of technical barriers, but a critical implementation milestone in Vietnam’s establishment of an independent type approval system. At present, it is more appropriate to understand it as follows: industrial sensors exported to Vietnam have shifted from the stage of “meeting basic standards is sufficient for market entry” to the stage of “localized approval is required for market access”. Companies do not need to overreact, but they must incorporate VR-MARK into their routine export compliance management process in order to respond to definite rules with certainty.

Source note: Circular No. 12/2026/TT-BKHCN of Vietnam’s Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) (issued on May 18, 2026); items pending continued observation: the subsequent VR-MARK implementation rules published on the STAMEQ official website, the catalog of approved products (List of Covered Products), and the latest directory of contracted international laboratories.