Compliance in Vietnam splits into two separate questions that buyers often lump together: is the factory following Vietnamese labor and environmental law, and does the product meet the standards of the market it is being sold into. Getting one right does not guarantee the other.
Local compliance: what a factory audit actually checks
Vietnamese labor law sets requirements around working hours, contracts, wages, and workplace safety, and factories are subject to environmental permits depending on what they discharge or emit. A factory audit worth doing looks at working conditions on the floor, not just paperwork in an office, since the two do not always match. This matters to buyers directly: retailers and brands increasingly require supply chain audits before they will list a product, and a factory with unresolved compliance issues can become your problem, not just theirs.
Global standards: the part that depends on your market
Separately, your product needs to meet the technical and safety standards of wherever it is sold, whether that is CE marking, FCC rules, or category-specific testing. A factory can be a well-run, fully compliant operation under Vietnamese law and still not have the specific certifications your target market requires. The two need to be checked independently.
How we handle it
We run pre-production audits that cover both sides: labor and environmental compliance on the ground, and certification and documentation checks against your destination market’s requirements. You get one clear answer instead of assuming that a factory that looks good on paper is good on both counts.