Which industry codes should FDI logistics companies in Vietnam choose?

Vietnam’s logistics market is expanding at speed, supported by e-commerce growth, rising manufacturing output, strong export demand, and sustained infrastructure investment. For foreign investors, however, one of the earliest decisions can become one of the most consequential: choosing the correct industry codes during registration. Under Decision No. 36/2025/QĐ-TTg (Decision 36) and the updated Vietnam Standard Industrial Classification (VSIC 2025)—effective November 15, 2025—logistics activities are categorized more precisely, and that affects how an FDI logistics company should structure its Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) and Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) scope.

This long-form guide explains how to choose the right code “families” for common FDI logistics models, how to structure primary versus supplementary codes, and how to reduce misclassification risk using ChatIIP and location intelligence via IIPMap. (Lưu ý quan trọng: bài này tập trung vào “logic lựa chọn nhóm mã” theo VSIC 2025; mã số cụ thể cần đối chiếu trực tiếp danh mục VSIC chính thức khi lập hồ sơ đăng ký.)

1. Why Industry Code Selection Is a “Day-One Risk” for FDI Logistics Firms

For FDI logistics companies, industry codes are not just administrative labels. They shape how authorities interpret your business scope, how your IRC narrative is framed, and how easily you can add services later without triggering amendments, clarifications, or compliance friction.

In practice, code selection affects five high-impact outcomes. First, it influences how fast your ERC and IRC can be processed when the scope is clear and internally consistent. Second, it affects how regulators and counterparties interpret whether you can do freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, delivery, or platform-based logistics under your registered scope. Third, it can influence how your operation is “read” during customs- and transport-related interactions, especially if your services include cross-border coordination or bonded warehousing (where applicable). Fourth, it shapes tax-facing documentation consistency when multiple services are bundled. Fifth, it impacts investment planning and reporting because more precise classification improves how your business is categorized in sector statistics and market benchmarking.

2. What Changed Under Decision 36/2025 for Logistics Classification (VSIC 2025)

Before VSIC 2025, many logistics activities were registered under broad categories that did not always distinguish clearly among freight forwarding, cargo handling, warehousing, and distribution models. That created predictable problems for FDI investors: companies often had to stack many supplementary codes to approximate real operations, and even then the registered scope could still look vague for modern models such as e-logistics, fulfillment operations, cold chain, and last-mile delivery networks.

Under VSIC 2025 introduced by Decision 36, logistics classification becomes more granular and “future-ready.” Instead of forcing different logistics functions into one umbrella, the updated logic supports clearer differentiation across activity families such as freight forwarding and cargo handling, warehousing and storage services, distribution and last-mile delivery, specialized logistics such as cold chain, logistics support services, and digital/platform-adjacent logistics models. The benefit for FDI firms is straightforward: you can register a scope that mirrors your true operating model, which reduces misunderstandings and strengthens your compliance posture as you scale.

3. The Core VSIC “Code Families” Most FDI Logistics Companies Should Consider

Instead of trying to guess a single code number, many investors start by identifying which activity families they operate, then structure primary and supplementary codes accordingly. The most common families are the following.

Freight forwarding and related coordination services are typically used when your business centers on organizing transport across borders or domestically, handling documentation workflows, and coordinating shipments through carriers and partners. This family often becomes the primary identity for forwarding-heavy models.

Warehousing and storage services apply when your core revenue comes from storage, inventory management, fulfillment operations, or operating storage facilities (including specialized types where applicable). This family is central for 3PL providers running warehousing as a main service line.

Distribution and last-mile delivery services are typically used when your business delivers parcels, operates urban delivery fleets, or runs distribution networks where last-mile is commercially significant. This becomes critical for e-commerce logistics and courier-type models.

Cold chain and specialized logistics services are important if temperature-controlled storage and transport are not incidental but a core commercial offering. Cold chain often has distinct operational and compliance expectations, so representing it clearly reduces ambiguity.

Logistics support and value-added services are relevant when your company sells packaging, labeling, light assembly, kitting, returns processing, or trade facilitation services as repeatable revenue lines rather than occasional add-ons.

Digital logistics platform and tech-enabled logistics services matter when your business model includes a platform layer such as e-logistics marketplaces, shipment management systems sold as a service, tracking and orchestration platforms, or data-driven logistics services integrated into your commercial delivery model.

4. How to Choose the Right Codes Based on Your FDI Logistics Business Model

A practical approach is to start from the business model, then build the code structure around revenue reality and operational delivery.

4.1 Model A: Freight Forwarding and Cargo Coordination Specialists

If your company’s core activity is international forwarding, coordinating cargo movement, handling documentation workflows, and managing cross-border shipment operations, then freight forwarding-related classification typically becomes your primary scope. Supplementary scope is added only if you regularly deliver other services such as cargo handling coordination, structured customs-related support functions (where permitted and relevant to your model), or value-added logistics services that are contractually sold as part of your offering.

This structure helps authorities and counterparties understand that your company is a forwarding-centric operator rather than a warehouse-led 3PL, which can reduce confusion in approvals and contracting.

4.2 Model B: Integrated 3PL / 4PL Providers

If your company sells integrated logistics solutions—warehousing plus fulfillment plus transportation coordination plus distribution—then your primary scope should reflect the dominant revenue engine. If warehousing and fulfillment is the center of delivery, warehousing and storage classification is typically the anchor. If your business is built around “end-to-end logistics management” where you orchestrate multiple partners and services, you’ll usually select a core logistics services identity aligned with your operational center, then add supplementary scope for fulfillment warehousing, last-mile delivery, and value-added services such as packaging, labeling, and returns processing.

The key is to avoid an overly broad “everything scope” while still accurately representing recurring service lines. Under VSIC 2025, precision tends to be more defensible than collecting too many categories.

4.3 Model C: Digital and Platform-Linked Logistics Operators

If your business model includes a digital platform layer—such as an e-logistics platform connecting shippers and carriers, or a shipment orchestration system sold as part of service delivery—then platform-adjacent logistics classification becomes important. In many cases, you will anchor the primary scope around the platform-enabled logistics service identity (depending on how your model earns revenue), then add supplementary scope for physical delivery functions if you actually operate them, such as warehouse operations, fulfillment, or last-mile delivery.

This approach is critical because digital logistics models can be misunderstood if they are forced into generic logistics service categories. A clearer platform-linked scope reduces the risk that your operating model is interpreted inconsistently across agencies or counterparties.

5. Primary vs Supplementary Codes: A Simple Rule That Prevents Costly Amendments

FDI investors often succeed by applying one rule consistently: the primary code should match the activity that defines your business identity and generates the majority of revenue, while supplementary codes should cover real, recurring secondary lines that you can demonstrate operationally.

If a service is only “future roadmap,” many firms delay adding it to avoid creating an overly broad scope that becomes harder to defend. For example, if you do not operate cold chain today, registering cold chain upfront “just in case” may create compliance and interpretation complexity later. Conversely, if cold chain is central to your contracts and infrastructure, failing to represent it can become a bigger operational risk.

6. Old vs New Classification Differences Explained Without a Table

Under older classification logic, freight forwarding, warehousing, and support services could appear under broad groupings that made integrated logistics models hard to describe cleanly. Under VSIC 2025, freight forwarding and cargo handling functions can be represented more distinctly, warehousing and storage can be structured more clearly, distribution and last-mile delivery can be separated as its own operational identity, cold chain can be positioned as specialized logistics rather than a footnote, and digital logistics models can be described with clearer recognition that modern logistics is not only physical movement but also orchestration and digital delivery capability.

For FDI investors, the practical difference is that VSIC 2025 supports cleaner registrations that align better with real business operations, which reduces the risk of scope confusion during licensing, inspections, and commercial due diligence.

7. Common Mistakes FDI Logistics Firms Should Avoid

One common mistake is registering under a single broad logistics scope while the business actually operates multiple distinct service lines such as warehousing, fulfillment, and last-mile delivery. This often triggers amendments later when the company expands or when authorities request clarification.

Another mistake is adding too many supplementary codes without a clear operational rationale. This can produce a scope profile that looks unfocused, increases review complexity, and may create compliance questions if the company cannot demonstrate actual activity delivery.

A third mistake is under-representing digital components when the business depends on platform-based operations. If the digital layer is commercially central, it should be reflected in the scope logic rather than hidden as a minor “support activity.”

8. Tools That Make Logistics Code Selection Faster and More Defensible

8.1 ChatIIP — AI-Powered Industry Comparison

FDI logistics companies often operate hybrid models that blend forwarding, warehousing, value-added services, and digital orchestration. That complexity is where manual classification becomes inconsistent and slow. Many investors use ChatIIP — AI-Powered Industry Comparison to compare old versus new VSIC logic under Decision 36 and map real operations to best-fit code families. In practice, ChatIIP helps you structure primary and supplementary codes based on your business model, reducing misclassification risk and improving the clarity of registration preparation.

8.2 IIPMap — Logistics Location and Market Intelligence

Correct codes are only one side of a successful Vietnam entry. Location strategy—ports, airports, industrial clusters, consumption centers, and corridor connectivity—often determines cost, speed, and scalability. Many investors use IIPMap to identify logistics corridors and industrial clusters, compare infrastructure readiness, and evaluate where demand density supports warehousing, fulfillment, or last-mile networks.

For local updates and broader market context, some investors also follow IIP Vietnam for logistics and infrastructure-related developments that can influence timing and expansion decisions.

9. Step-by-Step Checklist for FDI Logistics Code Registration Under VSIC 2025

• Define your operational scope in operational language, listing what you actually do today across forwarding, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, delivery, cold chain, value-added services, and platform operations.
• Identify your dominant business model and revenue engine, then choose your primary code family accordingly.
• Add supplementary code families only for recurring service lines that you will deliver and can defend operationally.
• Use ChatIIP to compare old vs new VSIC logic and validate that your chosen structure matches your real logistics model under Decision 36.
• Align ERC and IRC narrative so that the legal scope reads consistently across registration documents and internal investor reporting.
• Build location strategy in parallel using IIPMap so your registered scope and your operational footprint (warehouses, hubs, last-mile coverage) reinforce each other.
• Document your code selection rationale so audits, amendments, partner due diligence, and compliance reviews become faster and lower-risk.

For FDI investors entering Vietnam’s logistics market, industry code selection is a foundational step that shapes compliance clarity, operational scalability, and expansion speed. Decision 36/2025 and VSIC 2025 give foreign logistics companies a more precise framework to register modern logistics realities, including freight forwarding, warehousing and fulfillment, last-mile delivery, cold chain specialization, value-added services, and digital platform-linked models.

To reduce misclassification risk and accelerate preparation, many firms start with ChatIIP for AI-assisted code mapping, then strengthen execution with IIPMap to align operations with the most strategic logistics corridors and demand hotspots in Vietnam.