Managing goods quality through digital technology

Instead of classifying products into Group 1 and Group 2 as before, the amended Law on Product and Goods Quality introduces three risk levels: low, medium, and high, each with corresponding monitoring mechanisms.

For example, regarding low-risk goods, enterprises may self-declare applicable standards; for those considering medium-risk goods, businesses must conduct self-assessments or certification through accredited conformity assessment organisations; and for high-risk goods, mandatory assessment by designated organisations to ensure the highest level of quality and safety.

According to Ha Minh Hiep, Head of the Directorate for Standards, Meteorology and Quality of Viet Nam, shifting to a risk-based quality management model that prioritises supervision and post-inspection instead of pre-inspection aims to enhance efficiency and reduce administrative intervention. This approach has been adopted in many ASEAN countries and internationally.

High-risk products must be strictly managed. The important highlight of the law is the mandatory requirement for traceability of all goods classified as high-risk.

The amended Law on Product and Goods Quality and the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations place strong emphasis on applying digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data to modernise management, traceability, post-inspection, and improve enforcement effectiveness.

“For the first time, the laws establish a legal framework for the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI), an ecosystem comprising standards, measurement, conformity assessment (including accreditation), inspection, and policymaking. The state will invest in developing the national quality infrastructure based on digital technology and AI, ensuring data integration and sharing between quality inspection agencies, customs, traceability systems, consumer feedback channels, and international alerts to enhance monitoring and early warning capacities.” Ha Minh Hiep stated at a meeting at the Ministry of Science and Technology on July 7.

Viet Nam will establish a National Database on Standards, Measurement, and Quality, connecting ministries, sectors, localities, customs, business associations, and even consumers.

To connect data among functional bodies, integrate consumer feedback, and support post-inspection and early risk alerts on quality, building a national quality monitoring system is required to be implemented as a priority.

According to the National Numbering and Barcodes Centre, there are currently three types of counterfeit goods on the market: brand counterfeits, quality counterfeits, and origin counterfeits. However, from January 1, 2026, products sold on e-commerce platforms must declare quality standard certifications.

To ensure effective implementation in practice, apart from the legal framework, there must be clear roadmaps for technological infrastructure investment, human resource training, and inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh emphasised that the amended Law on Product and Goods Quality and the amended Law on Standards and Technical Regulations mark a comprehensive shift in mindset and management methods in the fields of standards, measurement, and quality. Specifically, the amended Law on Product and Goods Quality fundamentally changes from administrative management to risk-based management, from pre-inspection to post-inspection using data and technology, and from an encouragement mechanism to one that enforces accountability, transparency, and strict penalties.

Synchronous implementation among ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises will be the key to ensuring that shifting from administrative to risk-based quality management is not merely reform on paper.

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