Importing from Vietnam to the US in 2026 means paying 10% Section 122 on most product lines — down from 46% in mid-2025 after the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs in February. Vietnam's the cheapest non-USMCA origin for apparel, footwear, furniture, and consumer electronics right now, and the data shows it: US imports from Vietnam hit roughly $142 billion in 2025, second only to China and Mexico. But three things change the math fast — Section 232 on steel, aluminum, copper, and lumber still applies regardless of country of origin; the July 24, 2026 Section 122 sunset is under three months out; and USTR's March 11 Section 301 investigation explicitly named Vietnam as one of 16 economies under review for new country-specific surcharges. Here's the actual workflow, the rate stack, and a $40,000 apparel container worked end-to-end.
Vietnam's Tariff Rate Today (May 2026)
The headline rate is 10% Section 122, applied uniformly across most HTS lines as of February 24, 2026. MFN base rates run separately depending on the product — apparel chapters 61-62 typically 8-32%, footwear chapter 64 8-37.5%, furniture chapter 94 0-4.7%, and most chapter 85 consumer electronics at 0%. Section 122 stacks on top of MFN. There's no Section 301 layer on Vietnam yet — that's the central reason Vietnam beats China by 25 points right now. Section 232 still hits Vietnamese steel (50%), aluminum (50%), copper (50%), autos (25%), semiconductors (25%), and lumber (10%) — those national security tariffs survived SCOTUS untouched. For most consumer goods importers, the all-in stack is just MFN plus 10% Section 122 — and that's it.
Step-by-Step: How to Import from Vietnam
Step 1: Get an EIN if you don't have one — the Importer of Record needs an IRS EIN registered with CBP. Step 2: File CBP Form 5106 (Importer ID Input Record) to activate the EIN with Customs. Step 3: Hire a licensed customs broker. Almost every US importer uses one for ocean freight; brokerage runs $125-$300 per entry. Step 4: Get HTS classification right. Vietnamese exporters often misclassify on commercial invoices; verify against the USITC HTSUS database before the goods sail — see our guide on how to find an HTS code. Step 5: Source freight. Full container load (FCL) from Ho Chi Minh City to Long Beach runs roughly $2,400-$3,800 per 40-foot container in May 2026, plus $400-$700 in destination charges. Step 6: Buy marine cargo insurance (typically 0.3-0.6% of CIF value). Step 7: At entry, your broker files Form 7501 electronically through ACE. Step 8: Pay duty within 10 working days of release — most importers use ACH or a continuous bond rather than per-entry payments.
Worked Example: $40,000 Apparel Container from Ho Chi Minh
A $40,000 CIF container of women's cotton knit shirts from a factory in Binh Duong, classified under HTS 6109.10.00 (cotton T-shirts and singlets, knit). MFN: 16.5%. Section 122: 10%. Section 232: 0% (no steel or aluminum content). MFN at 16.5% = $6,600. Section 122 at 10% = $4,000. Subtotal duty: $10,600. MPF at 0.3464% = $138.56 (capped at $634.62 per entry). HMF at 0.125% = $50.00. Total entry cost: $10,788.56. Effective rate: 27.0%. The same container from China today: 16.5% MFN + 10% Section 122 + 25% Section 301 = 51.5% effective, with duty totaling $20,788.56. The Vietnam vs. China delta on a single container is $10,000 — that's the math driving Old Navy, Gap, and Nike to keep moving cut-and-sew capacity south. Plug your actual freight and broker fees into the landed cost calculator to see all-in landed cost per unit.
What Could Go Wrong: July 24 and the Section 301 Investigation
The 10% Section 122 baseline expires approximately July 24, 2026. Trump signed it under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which caps the duration at 150 days unless Congress extends. There's no path for unilateral renewal. USTR opened a Section 301 investigation on March 11 covering 16 economies — Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, Brazil, and others. Public comment closed April 15. A 15-25% Section 301 surcharge on Vietnamese imports is the most-cited Beltway forecast for what lands in late July or August. If that hits, Vietnamese apparel goes from 27% effective to 42-52% effective — which closes most of the gap to China and changes the entire 2026 sourcing calculus. Bake escalation language into any Q3 contract.
Top Vietnamese Exports to the US in 2026
Apparel and textiles ($24B in 2025, mostly chapters 61-62) — Vietnam is now the largest single foreign supplier of US apparel, ahead of China for the third year running. Footwear ($11B, chapter 64) — Nike alone sources roughly 50% of US-bound footwear from Vietnam. Furniture ($14B, chapter 94) — Vietnam overtook China as the largest furniture supplier in 2023; the China vs. Vietnam delta on a $20,000 sofa container is $5,000 in duty, which is why Wayfair and West Elm relocated 60%+ of case-goods sourcing south. Consumer electronics ($16B, chapter 85) — Samsung's Vietnam factories ship most US-bound smartphones; final-assembly Apple AirPods come out of Bac Ninh. Seafood ($1.8B, chapter 03 — primarily shrimp and pangasius). Wood products ($3.5B, chapter 44 — and these pay 10% Section 232 lumber on top of Section 122).
FTAs, Section 232, and the De Minimis Question
Vietnam has no FTA with the US — no preference rates, no quota carve-outs. Every shipment pays the 10% Section 122 layer. The only relief mechanisms are Section 232 product exclusions (Commerce, ~25% approval rate on copper, lower on steel/aluminum) and product-specific Section 301 exclusions for Chinese-origin goods (which doesn't help Vietnamese-origin product anyway). The de minimis exemption — historically allowing $800 shipments duty-free — was eliminated in 2025 for Section 301 and Section 232 covered goods. As of May 2026, low-value Vietnamese consumer goods shipments still get the $800 de minimis on most lines, but anything subject to Section 232 (steel, aluminum, copper articles, semiconductors) doesn't qualify regardless of value.
Action Checklist for 2026 Vietnam Programs
Step 1: For any active 2025 entries between April 5 and February 24, file IEEPA refund claims through the CAPE portal — Vietnam paid up to 46% during the IEEPA window. The refundable difference back to 10% is roughly $36 per $100 of CIF value. Step 2: For Q3 2026 contracts, write duty escalation clauses tied to Section 301 announcements. Step 3: Verify HTS classification on every active SKU — Vietnamese suppliers misdeclare classification roughly 20% of the time on first entries, per CBP audit data. Step 4: For products with steel or aluminum content, run shadow quotes from Mexican or Canadian USMCA-qualifying suppliers — the 50% Section 232 layer drops to 0% if origin shifts to North America and USMCA rules are met. Step 5: Subscribe to the USTR docket on the Section 301 Vietnam investigation; the determination is expected by mid-July. Step 6: Get on your broker's CAPE filing queue if you have IEEPA refund exposure — backlog is real and queue position determines refund timing.
Key Takeaway
Vietnam at 10% Section 122 plus MFN is the cheapest non-USMCA origin for most US consumer goods in May 2026. A $40,000 apparel container costs roughly $10,789 in total duty versus $20,789 from China — a 50% saving that's been driving sourcing migration since 2018. But the July 24 Section 122 sunset and the parallel USTR Section 301 investigation create real downside risk: Vietnamese duty could jump 15-25 points before Q3 closes. Run the landed cost calculator with current freight and broker quotes, file any 2025 IEEPA refunds through CAPE, write escalation clauses into Q3 contracts, and verify Section 232 exposure on every line with metal content.
Calculate Your Import Duty
Get an instant estimate for your specific product, country, and shipment value.
Open Tariff Calculator