How much sulphuric acid does Viet Nam import?

Viet Nam has not published its 2024 or 2025 figures to UN Comtrade, but exporting countries declared 378,166 t shipped to Viet Nam in 2025, up from 257,505 t in 2024. China shipped 61.0%, the Republic of Korea 28.1% and Japan 10.9%.

What does China's export halt mean for a Vietnamese buyer?

That the largest 2025 supplier is out of the market for the rest of 2026. China capped exports at 700,000 t for January to April, shipped 18,733 t to Viet Nam in April and halted all acid exports from May to the end of the year, CRU reports. Korean and Japanese smelter acid, which supplied 39.0% of Viet Nam's 2025 tonnage, is the practical replacement, and it is contested by every other buyer that lost Chinese supply.

Parcel tanker or ISO tank?

It depends on the buyer's tank. A bulk parcel on an IBC Code chemical tanker needs a receiving terminal and a tank at Hai Phong; a buyer without one takes ISO tanks of about 24 t on the container lines. Both move as UN 1830, class 8, packing group II, and the price per tonne rises as the lot gets smaller.

What must the importer settle under Viet Nam's chemical law?

Its status under the Law on Chemicals No. 69/2025/QH15, in force since 1 January 2026, and the implementing decrees 24, 25 and 26 of 2026, which set the chemical lists and the declaration and licensing procedures. The importer of record should confirm with the Ministry of Industry and Trade or its customs broker which list applies to sulphuric acid and what the import needs before a lot is contracted.

Which specification travels with the cargo?

An independent certificate of analysis at load for strength (98-98.5% H2SO4), iron, arsenic, lead, chloride, sulphur dioxide and colour, a certificate of quantity, the safety data sheet, the dangerous goods declaration and a certificate of origin naming the producing smelter or plant. Smelter acid from Korea and Japan carries more iron than sulphur-burnt acid, so state the trace-metal limits your process needs.

Southeast Asia · Vietnam

Sulphuric Acid CIF Hai Phong, Vietnam: H2SO4 98% for North Vietnamese Industry

Viet Nam's acid supply grew 46.9% in 2025, and its largest supplier stopped exporting in May 2026

Viet Nam has not reported its sulphuric acid imports to UN Comtrade for 2024 or 2025, so the market is read from the exporters' side. Exporting countries declared 378,166 t of HS 2807 shipped to Viet Nam in 2025, up 46.9% from 257,505 t in 2024. China shipped 230,637 t (61.0%) at a declared USD 62 per tonne FOB, the Republic of Korea 106,166 t (28.1%) at USD 97/t and Japan 41,044 t (10.9%) at USD 18/t, with other origins at 319 t; in 2024 Korea had been the largest at 103,466 t, ahead of China at 84,137 t and Japan at 59,260 t. The supply has since changed. China capped acid exports at 700,000 t for January to April 2026, shipped 18,733 t to Viet Nam in April, and halted all exports from the beginning of May to the end of 2026, CRU reports; China's 2025 acid exports had been 4.6 million t, and CRU expects India, South Korea and Japan together to add only about 0.5 million t. For a buyer in north Viet Nam the open origins are therefore the Korean and Japanese smelters, which already supplied 39.0% of 2025 tonnage.

Sulphuric acid ships as UN 1830, class 8, packing group II: in bulk on chemical tankers certified under the IBC Code, which lists sulphuric acid in chapter 17, and in ISO tank containers for small lots. Viet Nam regulates chemical imports under the Law on Chemicals No. 69/2025/QH15, in force since 1 January 2026, and its implementing decrees 24, 25 and 26 of 2026; the importer of record should confirm, before the contract, which list sulphuric acid sits on and what declaration or licence the import needs. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers sulphuric acid 98-98.5% CIF Hai Phong, in parcels for buyers with their own tank and in ISO tanks of about 24 t for buyers without one, with SGS or Intertek certification of strength, iron, arsenic, lead, chloride and colour at load and the producing smelter or acid plant named on the certificate of origin. Send the strength and trace-metal limits, the quantity per lot and per month, parcel or ISO tank, the discharge terminal, the importer of record, the delivery window and the payment terms, and the enquiry is screened and worked against them.

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The market in figures

Exporters' shipments to Viet Nam (HS 2807), 2025: 378,166 t (2024: 257,505 t, +46.9%)
Origins, 2025: China 230,637 t (61.0%) · Korea 106,166 t (28.1%) · Japan 41,044 t (10.9%) · other origins 319 t
Declared FOB, 2025: China USD 62/t · Korea USD 97/t · Japan USD 18/t
China in 2026: Exports capped at 700,000 t Jan-Apr · 18,733 t to Viet Nam in April · all exports halted from May to end-2026
How it ships: UN 1830, class 8 · IBC Code chemical tanker in bulk · ISO tank of about 24 t
Chemical law: Law on Chemicals No. 69/2025/QH15, in force 1 Jan 2026 · Decrees 24, 25 and 26/2026/ND-CP
Import duty: 10% applied MFN customs duty on HS 2807.00 (2023, two national lines) · VAT and other charges on top

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

How much sulphuric acid does Viet Nam import?: Viet Nam has not published its 2024 or 2025 figures to UN Comtrade, but exporting countries declared 378,166 t shipped to Viet Nam in 2025, up from 257,505 t in 2024. China shipped 61.0%, the Republic of Korea 28.1% and Japan 10.9%.
What does China's export halt mean for a Vietnamese buyer?: That the largest 2025 supplier is out of the market for the rest of 2026. China capped exports at 700,000 t for January to April, shipped 18,733 t to Viet Nam in April and halted all acid exports from May to the end of the year, CRU reports. Korean and Japanese smelter acid, which supplied 39.0% of Viet Nam's 2025 tonnage, is the practical replacement, and it is contested by every other buyer that lost Chinese supply.
Parcel tanker or ISO tank?: It depends on the buyer's tank. A bulk parcel on an IBC Code chemical tanker needs a receiving terminal and a tank at Hai Phong; a buyer without one takes ISO tanks of about 24 t on the container lines. Both move as UN 1830, class 8, packing group II, and the price per tonne rises as the lot gets smaller.
What must the importer settle under Viet Nam's chemical law?: Its status under the Law on Chemicals No. 69/2025/QH15, in force since 1 January 2026, and the implementing decrees 24, 25 and 26 of 2026, which set the chemical lists and the declaration and licensing procedures. The importer of record should confirm with the Ministry of Industry and Trade or its customs broker which list applies to sulphuric acid and what the import needs before a lot is contracted.
Which specification travels with the cargo?: An independent certificate of analysis at load for strength (98-98.5% H2SO4), iron, arsenic, lead, chloride, sulphur dioxide and colour, a certificate of quantity, the safety data sheet, the dangerous goods declaration and a certificate of origin naming the producing smelter or plant. Smelter acid from Korea and Japan carries more iron than sulphur-burnt acid, so state the trace-metal limits your process needs.