Vietnam and China sign new customs agreement to combat smuggling

Vietnam - China signed a new customs cooperation agreement during the state visit to China by General Secretary and President To Lâm, the Minister of Finance Ngo Văn Tuấn and the Chinese Minister of Customs Sun Mai Quan. The agreement provides a new legal framework, promoting data exchange, facilitating clearance, and increasing multilateral cooperation to combat cross-border crime. The new agreement replaces the 1993 document and establishes a legal framework for customs cooperation in the context of growing bilateral trade. Trade turnover between the two countries surpassed $250 billion in 2025. According to the General Department of Customs, cooperation focuses on policy and legal information exchange, exchange of import/export data and risk indicators, which will support clearance and enhance detection and prevention of violations. In addition, the agreement expands digital transformation contents. The two sides will implement electronic data exchange, a single window mechanism, and connect smart border gates. The prioritized enterprise program is broadened. They also agreed to maintain a coordination mechanism via a senior official-level conference and to establish direct contacts to handle arising issues. The implementation of smart border crossings is prioritized on road and rail corridors, with simplification of mandatory inspections. The agreement is viewed as a basis to harmonize management, support trade, and increase control effectiveness as cross-border trade grows. On the same day, the Mekong Dragon VIII campaign was launched online with the participation of 24 customs authorities and law enforcement agencies. This initiative, started by Vietnamese and Chinese customs authorities in 2018, aims to strengthen cooperation in customs controls across the Asia-Pacific region. This year’s campaign involves UNODC, RILO AP, Hong Kong Customs and Australian border forces. The network of cooperation has expanded, enabling greater information sharing and law enforcement support. Both sides assess that smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal wildlife trafficking remain complex in scale and methods, with increasing case numbers and new routes and technologies. In Vietnam, during 2025 and Q1 2026, customs authorities detected numerous drug-related cases across a range of substances. This underscores the need to improve analytical capacity, forecasting, and risk management. Mekong Dragon VIII is thus reaffirmed as a tool to maintain cooperation, raise information intelligence sharing, and enhance interagency coordination. Participants also discussed applying technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data in customs controls, and expanding cooperation with logistics and express delivery firms. The campaign aims to curb transnational crime, contribute to regional security, and safeguard the environment and biodiversity. The signing of the Vietnam-China customs cooperation agreement and Mekong Dragon VIII demonstrates a shift from bilateral to multilateral cooperation, from facilitating trade to strengthening risk control.