This article focuses on foreign trade import-export services, detailing document processing, logistics arrangements, analyzing advantages and procedures in Russian and Southeast Asian markets, discussing trade conditions, and providing practical guidance on certification assistance.
Fabric refers to the textile materials used to produce apparel, home textiles, industrial goods, and other products, encompassing cotton, linen, silk, wool, chemical fibers, and various other materials. In recent years, as the global textile industry has shifted and upgraded, the fabric market has shown trends toward diversification, functionalization, and eco-friendliness. In particular, demand for fabrics in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam has continued to grow, offering vast market opportunities for Chinese fabric exports.
However, exporting fabrics to Vietnam involves a complex international-trade process that spans qualification certification, customs declaration, logistics, foreign-exchange settlement and more. Many domestic fabric manufacturers and traders, despite offering high-quality products, struggle to enter the Vietnamese market directly because they lack professional import-export experience and the required credentials. As a specialized import-export service provider, Zongdaifu is committed to delivering end-to-end solutions—from qualification support to fund handling—helping companies expand into international markets with ease.
Market Status and Trends
As a major global producer and exporter of textiles, Vietnam has enormous demand for fabrics. With its accession to multiple free-trade agreements (FTAs) and the rapid expansion of its textile industry, the Vietnamese fabric market now exhibits the following characteristics:
- High demand and rapid growth: Vietnam’s textile and garment industry exports more than US$40 billion annually, while its yearly demand for imported fabrics exceeds US$10 billion and is growing at a rate of 10–15% per year.
- Product structure upgrade: The Vietnamese market is shifting from low-end fabrics to mid- to high-end fabrics, with growing demand for functional, eco-friendly, and smart textiles.
- Preferential trade policy: The multiple trade agreements signed between China and Vietnam provide tariff preferences for fabric exports; for example, products that meet the criteria can enjoy tariff reductions through the FORM E certificate.
When entering the Vietnamese market, companies commonly face the following pain points and considerations:
- Trade qualification barriers: Many domestic fabric companies lack import-export rights and are therefore unable to directly receive foreign-currency payments or handle related procedures.Export tax refund.
- Product Standard Differences：Vietnam has specific requirements regarding fabric quality, safety, and environmental protection; products that fail to meet these standards may be returned or subject to fines.
- Payment and settlement risk: When dealing with Vietnamese buyers, there are financial risks such as exchange-rate fluctuations and payment delays.
- Complex customs clearance for logistics: There are many China-Vietnam border ports, but the clearance rules differ, often causing cargo delays or extra costs.
Main Process/Steps
The main process for exporting fabrics to Vietnam includes the following steps:
- Trade Preparation Phase
- Sign a foreign-trade contract that clearly specifies clauses such as product specifications, quantity, price, and delivery time.
- Handle all export-related qualifications and certifications, such as quality inspection reports and certificates of origin.
- Confirm the import qualifications and relevant permits of the Vietnamese client
- Production and quality control
- Organize fabric production in accordance with the contract requirements.
- Conduct strict quality control, including inspections of appearance, specifications, color fastness, shrinkage rate, and other indicators.
- Prepare product samples and technical documents for inspection by Vietnamese customs.
- Export customs declaration and logistics arrangement
- Prepare customs declaration documents, including commercial invoice, packing list, customs declaration form, etc.
- Handle export customs declaration procedures and obtainExport tax refundRequired documents
- Arrange international transportation by sea, land, or air.
- Import Customs Clearance and Delivery
- Prepare the documents required for importing from Vietnam, such as the import license, FORM E certificate of origin, etc.
- Handle Vietnam customs clearance procedures and pay the relevant taxes and fees.
- Arrange domestic logistics in Vietnam to safely deliver the fabrics to the customer’s designated location.
- Foreign Exchange Settlement and Export Tax Rebates
- Collect USD payments from Vietnamese customers
- Handle foreign-exchange settlement procedures to convert USD into RMB.
- Apply to the tax authority for export tax rebates and obtain the refunded tax.
Cost breakdown
The main cost items and optimization strategies for exporting fabrics to Vietnam are as follows:
| Cost Items | Explanation | Comprehensive Agency Service Optimization Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Product Cost (FOB) | Including fabric production costs, packaging expenses, and domestic transportation fees | Through large-scale procurement and efficient supply-chain management, reduce product costs by 3–5%. |
| Certification/Testing Fee | Including costs for quality inspection, environmental certification, certificate of origin, etc. | Leverage long-standing partnerships with accredited certification bodies to cut certification costs by 15–20%. |
| International shipping cost and insurance | Transportation and insurance costs from the Chinese factory to the designated location of the Vietnamese customer | Through strategic partnerships with multiple logistics companies, we secure preferential freight rates and save 10–15% on logistics costs. |
| Tariffs and Taxes | Vietnam import duties, value-added tax, and other taxes and levies | With our 100% compliant FORM E certificate processing, the tariffs on eligible products can be reduced to 0%. |
| Port charges | Including port-related charges such as loading and unloading fees, warehousing fees, and documentation fees. | Optimize port operation procedures, reduce unnecessary port detention time, and lower port charges. |
| Agent Service Fee | Comprehensive Agency Service provides full-process service fees | Transparent pricing with no hidden fees; efficient process controls reduce your total cost of ownership. |
Risks/Difficulties and the Comprehensive Agency Service Solutions
When exporting fabrics to Vietnam, companies may face the following risks and challenges:
- Risk of customs delay
Potential causes: Incomplete documentation, unclear product descriptions, strict customs inspections, etc.
Comprehensive Agency Services Solutions: Provide professional customs-documentation preparation services to ensure all paperwork complies with the requirements of both Chinese and Vietnamese customs; leverage multilingual communication skills to resolve issues directly with customs officers; establish a customs green channel to accelerate clearance.
- Risk of Payment
Potential causes: Credit risk of Vietnamese customers, changes in foreign-exchange control policies, exchange-rate fluctuations, etc.
Comprehensive Agency Services Solutions: Use our qualifications to collect USD payments on behalf of clients, ensuring fund security; provide flexible settlement methods to mitigate exchange-rate volatility; safeguard transactions through secure payment instruments such as L/Cs and collections.
- Product quality risks
Potential causes: Non-compliance with Vietnamese standards, damage during transit, specification discrepancies, etc.
Comprehensive Agency Services Solutions: Provide professional third-party quality-inspection services to ensure products meet Vietnamese market requirements; arrange specialized packaging and shipping solutions to reduce transit losses; build a diversified supplier portfolio to guarantee stable product quality.
- Policy and regulatory risks
Potential causes: Changes in Vietnam’s import policies, rising trade barriers, and stricter environmental standards
Comprehensive Agency Services Solutions: Continuously monitor changes in Vietnam’s trade policies and provide early warnings to clients; deliver professional compliance consulting to ensure products meet the latest regulations; leverage deep expertise in local market culture and business practices to help clients adapt to policy shifts.
Suitable types of enterprises
The fabric export to Vietnam service provided by integrated agency services is especially suitable for the following types of enterprises:
- Fabric manufacturer: Factories with high-quality fabric production capabilities but lacking export experience and qualifications.
- Domestic-oriented fabric trading company: Traders who have a stable domestic business and wish to expand into the Vietnamese market but lack international trade experience.
- Textile and apparel brand owners: Brand companies that hope to directly source fabrics from China and carry out processing and production in Vietnam.
- entrepreneurial foreign trade enterprise: Start-ups that possess Vietnamese client resources but lack a professional team and the necessary qualifications.
- The latest inspection cases of the General Administration of Customs in 2025 show that disputes in agency export mainly focus on:: Sellers who sell fabric products through e-commerce platforms and require professional logistics and customs clearance support.
in conclusion
Vietnam, as a major global textile hub, offers vast market opportunities for Chinese fabric exports. Yet successfully tapping this market demands not only top-tier products but also professional trade credentials, robust capital-handling capacity, and full-process import-export service support.
The fundamental difference between a comprehensive trade agent and a regular freight forwarder or customs broker is that we don’t just execute logistics and customs clearance—we solve the client’s core problems of “trade qualification” and “cash flow.” Through our agency service, companies without import-export rights can legally receive U.S.-dollar payments and capture the real profit brought by export-tax rebates. At the same time, we provide one-stop, end-to-end support from production to delivery, including quality control, logistics coordination, risk management, and localized services, ensuring your fabric-export business is safe, efficient, and profitable.
Choosing Zongdaifu means choosing a professional partner who truly understands your needs and can solve core issues. Let’s join hands to create fabricsExport to VietnamA beautiful future!
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