Vietnam Customs Renews Priority Enterprise Status for Minh Phu (MPC) and Hoa Sen (HSG)

Overview

Vietnam Customs (Cục Hải quan) recognized or renewed Authorized Economic Operator (priority enterprise) status for seven companies at a ceremony on 29-9, including listed firms Thủy sản Minh Phú Hậu Giang (UPCOM: MPC) and Tập đoàn Hoa Sen (HOSE: HSG). The 74-company priority group accounts for roughly 30% of Vietnam’s total import-export turnover, making the designation a meaningful operational advantage for the two Vietnamese listed names.

Key Facts

• Vietnam Customs recognized 3 new priority enterprises: Hana Micron Vina, Luxshare-ICT (Vietnam) and Samju Vina.
• 4 enterprises had priority status renewed: Thủy sản Minh Phú Hậu Giang (MPC), Tập đoàn Hoa Sen (HSG), Hoya Glass Disk Việt Nam and LG Electronics Việt Nam Hải Phòng.
• The priority enterprise group totals 74 companies nationwide, spanning electronics, high technology, industrial manufacturing, textiles, agriculture and seafood.
• Priority enterprises contributed approximately 30% of Vietnam’s total import-export turnover, averaging over USD 230 billion per year in 2022-2025 (28-34% of the national total).
• In 2025, the group’s trade turnover reached about USD 256.63 billion; in the first six months of this year it reached about USD 164.52 billion, roughly 30% of the national total.
• Priority status grants green-channel customs clearance, meaning goods clear without detailed document or physical inspection absent signs of violation.
• Priority enterprises may defer tax payment to the 10th of the following month for the previous month’s declarations, instead of paying at the time of customs processing.

What Happened

At a ceremony on 29-9, Vietnam Customs awarded decisions to seven enterprises. Three received new recognition: Hana Micron Vina Company Limited, Luxshare-ICT (Vietnam) Company Limited and Samju Vina Company Limited. Four had their priority status renewed: Thủy sản Minh Phú Hậu Giang Joint Stock Company, Tập đoàn Hoa Sen Joint Stock Company, Hoya Glass Disk Việt Nam Company Limited and LG Electronics Việt Nam Hải Phòng Company Limited.

Trần Đức Hùng, Deputy Director of Vietnam Customs, said the priority enterprise program is an important reform that shifts customs management from traditional to modern methods. He described the mechanism as special, reflecting Customs’ trust in companies with large import-export scale, high compliance and professional management. Hùng said selection focuses on high-technology companies and sectors that warrant encouragement. The article states the source as Vietnam Customs’ announcement at the 29-9 ceremony.

Market Context

MPC trades on UPCOM and closed at 13,800 on 29-9; HSG trades on HOSE and closed at 10,100 on 29-9. Both are export-oriented manufacturers whose margins are sensitive to customs clearance times and working-capital cycles. The priority enterprise program is a recurring administrative reform theme in Vietnam’s trade policy, and the 74-company group’s concentration of roughly 30% of national trade turnover underscores how narrowly the benefits are distributed. The designation does not change either company’s earnings base directly, but it reduces procedural friction and tax-payment timing costs.

Strategic Significance

For Minh Phú, Vietnam’s largest seafood exporter, green-channel clearance and deferred tax payment matter because seafood shipments are time-sensitive and the company competes globally on delivery reliability. For Hoa Sen Group, a leading steel exporter, the benefit is working-capital efficiency: deferring tax to the 10th of the following month effectively extends the cash-conversion cycle. The strategic angle is that both companies are now formally inside a trusted-trader framework that Customs is explicitly steering toward high-technology and priority sectors, which could shape future eligibility criteria and the competitive gap between priority and non-priority exporters.

What to Watch

• Q3 2026 earnings releases from MPC and HSG for any disclosed customs-clearance or working-capital commentary.
• Vietnam Customs’ next priority enterprise recognition round and whether the 74-company total expands.
• Monthly customs statistics on national import-export turnover to track the priority group’s 30% share.
• Any revision to the priority enterprise criteria, particularly the stated tilt toward high technology and semiconductors.
• MPC and HSG foreign-ownership and liquidity filings on UPCOM and HOSE, respectively.