Vietnam Logistics Industry 2025: How Decision 36/2025 Changes VSIC Codes for FDI & DDI

Vietnam’s logistics industry, widely viewed as the backbone of manufacturing expansion and export-led growth, is entering a new regulatory phase as the national industry classification framework is modernized. With the implementation of Decision No. 36/2025/QĐ-TTg (Decision 36), Vietnam has updated the Vietnam Standard Industrial Classification (VSIC 2025) system, which changes how logistics activities are categorized and interpreted across business registration, licensing scope, compliance reviews, and investment reporting.

For both foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic direct investment (DDI), these changes matter because logistics is not a single activity. It includes freight forwarding, cargo handling, warehousing, distribution, supply chain services, port-related support, and increasingly e-logistics and last-mile delivery. Under older classification approaches, several of these functions could be grouped too broadly or overlap in ways that created ambiguity for regulators and investors. Since Decision 36 took effect on November 15, 2025, the updated VSIC structure aims to reflect operational reality more precisely, which can materially affect how logistics companies register, expand, and stay compliant.

1. Why Industry Classification Matters for Logistics Businesses

Industry classification is often treated as paperwork, but in logistics it frequently determines how authorities interpret what a company is allowed to do and how that company is evaluated during administrative procedures. Classification choices can influence enterprise registration and licensing, transportation and customs-related administrative processes, eligibility for incentives or government support programs, and even how easily a company can present its operating scope to banks, partners, and investors.

Because modern logistics operators commonly run multiple services under one umbrella—such as integrated 3PL operations, cross-border e-commerce logistics, or temperature-controlled distribution—precision in VSIC selection becomes especially important when a company applies for new licenses, expands into new services, or restructures its business lines.

2. How Decision 36/2025 Changes Logistics Classification in Vietnam

Old VSIC approach before 2025: broad groupings created gray areas

Before Decision 36, logistics-related activities were often grouped under broad categories that could blur distinctions between transportation, warehousing, supporting services, and consulting. For businesses that operate across several functions at once, this sometimes led to code selections that were technically “acceptable” but not fully descriptive. Over time, those broad classifications could become a problem when companies needed to amend business lines, defend their scope during inspections, or demonstrate a clear operating model to partners.

VSIC 2025 approach after November 15, 2025: more refined and future-ready

Under the VSIC 2025 framework introduced by Decision 36, logistics activity classification becomes more granular, aiming to separate core logistics functions more clearly and reduce overlap. In practice, this modernization supports clearer differentiation among freight forwarding, cargo handling, and warehousing activities, while also improving visibility for value-added services such as cold chain logistics and supply chain consulting. It also better acknowledges the reality of digital logistics models and e-logistics services, which are increasingly central to Vietnam’s last-mile delivery and cross-border e-commerce ecosystems.

For global investors, the broader significance is that a refined classification system can improve interoperability with international reporting expectations and help reduce internal compliance friction when Vietnam operations must be mapped into global categories.

3. What This Means for Logistics Companies and Investors

More precise business registration, especially for multi-service operators

Under VSIC 2025, companies that provide multiple logistics services need to think more carefully about how they define their primary activity and which supplementary codes are necessary to reflect the true operating model. For example, a company that provides warehousing plus freight services will likely need a clearer primary-versus-secondary registration logic than in the past, and digital platform-based logistics models can be positioned more cleanly than when they were sometimes pushed into generic service buckets.

When code selection is inaccurate, it can trigger administrative delays, cause confusion about licensing scope, or lead to misinterpretation of operational activities by regulators or tax authorities. With the new system offering more specificity, the expectation for accuracy tends to rise alongside the available detail.

Better alignment with incentives and sector priorities

Vietnam’s investment environment often includes preferential frameworks tied to strategic activities, and logistics can be sensitive to how a service is classified—particularly when it relates to priority export supply chains, agricultural cold chain distribution, or infrastructure-supporting services. With the VSIC 2025 structure providing clearer sub-sector definition, investors can plan projects with more confidence about how a logistics business line will be categorized from the outset, reducing the risk of discovering a classification mismatch after investment documents have already been filed.

More actionable data and improved market comparability

When classification is more granular, performance and market data can be tracked with higher resolution across sub-sectors. This can help both policymakers and investors benchmark logistics segments more clearly, compare different service models, and evaluate sub-sector performance over time. For operators, it can also support clearer internal reporting and strategic planning when business lines are split across freight, warehousing, distribution, and value-added services.

Real-World Example: Cold Chain, General Warehousing, and Digital Logistics

In the older system, general warehousing and cold chain services could be treated as part of one broad warehousing classification, even though cold chain logistics carries very different compliance and operational requirements. Under a more refined VSIC 2025 approach, cold chain logistics can be represented more explicitly as a specialized service rather than being buried inside a general warehousing bucket. A similar pattern appears with e-logistics platforms, which were sometimes miscoded under generic services before, but can now be categorized in a way that better reflects digital logistics operations.

This kind of differentiation matters because it helps investors build sector-specific strategies that match both compliance expectations and operational reality.

4. Tools to Navigate VSIC 2025 Logistics Code Changes Faster

ChatIIP — AI-Powered Industry Comparison is built for investors and operators who need a faster way to translate business activities into correct classification logic. Many logistics investors use ChatIIP to quickly compare old vs. new industry codes, assess the best matches for your logistics business model, and generate tailored registration guidance that can be used across internal approvals and filing preparation. Whether you’re setting up an integrated logistics operator, a cross-border freight forwarding company, or an e-logistics platform, ChatIIP can help interpret classification language and map your activities to the most accurate VSIC codes, saving time and reducing risk—especially when your services span multiple layers of logistics.

While code classification is a regulatory foundation, logistics success also depends on geography and infrastructure. IIPMap — Visual Investment Insights supports investors by linking sector activity with location intelligence. Many teams use IIPMap to identify logistics clusters and industrial corridors, evaluate infrastructure readiness such as ports, highways, and cold chain capacity, and track emerging hotspots where demand and policy conditions are shifting. Used together with correct industry classification, IIPMap helps investors build a clearer view of both regulatory requirements and market dynamics, improving decision-making from registration to site selection.

5. Local Industry Context for Ongoing Logistics Updates

For investors who want ongoing visibility into logistics developments, infrastructure projects, and industrial zone trends, regional information hubs can complement classification work with practical market context. Platforms such as IIPVietnam can be used as a reference point for sector updates, project data, and investment outlooks connected to industrial growth and policy changes.

Logistics investors navigating VSIC 2025 typically start by reviewing their current registered codes, especially if the company operates across multiple services. From there, mapping old and new classifications with tools like ChatIIP can reduce ambiguity and strengthen registration defensibility. Many investors then evaluate whether specialized segments such as cold chain, cross-border forwarding, or digital logistics may align more cleanly with incentive strategies under clearer classification. Finally, pairing classification clarity with location strategy through IIPMap helps ensure the business is aligned not only on paper, but also on the ground.

Decision 36/2025 and VSIC 2025 mark a structural modernization of how Vietnam defines logistics activities. By increasing specificity and recognizing evolving service models, the new classification framework aims to reduce ambiguity and strengthen transparency for both domestic and foreign investors. For logistics companies, the immediate priority is selecting codes that accurately reflect real operations, because classification clarity is increasingly tied to licensing efficiency, compliance confidence, and strategic investment planning. Investors who want to move faster can start by using ChatIIP for AI-assisted industry comparison and mapping, then combine that administrative clarity with geographic investment insight through IIPMap to make decisions that are both compliance-ready and market-smart.