In his opening remarks, Hoang Ninh, Deputy Director of the E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the MoIT, said the forum was organised at the very beginning of 2026 to promptly update guidance and ensure unified implementation ahead of the enforcement of new mechanisms and policies, thereby helping localities and businesses proactively prepare, ensure compliance, mitigate risks, and improve the quality of development.

According to Ninh, digital transformation is profoundly reshaping production, business and consumption patterns. In this context, e-commerce has emerged as a vital distribution channel, directly connecting businesses with consumers and helping expand markets for Vietnamese goods.

In recent years, e-commerce has maintained an average annual growth rate of around 25%. In 2025, retail sales via e-commerce were estimated at 31 billion USD, accounting for about 11% of total retail sales, with roughly 60% of the population participating in online shopping. Rapid and broad-based growth has generated higher demands for discipline, transparency, consumer protection and legal compliance to ensure sustainable development.

The year 2026 is seen as a pivotal milestone as the E-commerce Law enters the implementation phase and marks the launch of the National Master Plan on E-commerce Development for 2026–2030. The plan aims to promote green, circular and sustainable growth while enhancing competitiveness and growth quality, with an emphasis on consistent implementation from central to local levels.

However, Ninh noted that e-commerce development remains uneven among localities, particularly between major cities and mountainous or border provinces, due to constraints in digital infrastructure, logistics, human resources and enterprises’ readiness for digital transformation. Strengthening grassroots implementation capacity and providing compliance support for businesses are therefore essential to consolidating market confidence.

Reflecting this orientation, the Government’s Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP for 2026 assigns tasks to study and develop a master plan for applying e-commerce in mountainous and border areas in the 2027–2030 period, with the goal of narrowing the digital divide and ensuring inclusive growth.

At the forum, participants also discussed new regulatory requirements under the E-commerce Law, which will take effect on July 1. The law introduces clearer classification of e-commerce models, defines responsibilities of platforms, sellers and livestream hosts, strengthens consumer protection, and enhances oversight of cross-border e-commerce activities.

The law, for the first time, clearly stipulates the responsibilities of social media platforms engaged in commercial activities. Accordingly, platforms are required to distinguish between business accounts and personal accounts, separate commercial content from regular content, and retain transaction dat. Large-scale platforms must fully comply with regulations applicable to intermediary e-commerce marketplaces.

It is also expected to rein in an overheated market and establish a clearer, more transparent legal framework, creating a more secure and sustainable environment for both businesses and consumers.

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