The Vietnamese government has approved a significant restructuring of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), reducing its organizational units from 28 to 22 under Decree 40/2025/NĐ-CP, signed by the Prime Minister.

The decree, which takes effect on March 1, 2025, aims to streamline operations and improve administrative efficiency within the ministry.

The 22 newly designated units include core departments overseeing policy-making, trade development, industrial sectors, and market regulation.

Notable units include the Department of Foreign Market Development, the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, the Department of Petroleum and Coal, the Electricity Department, and the Trade Remedies Department.

Additionally, three affiliated research and media units - the Institute for Strategic Research on Industry and Trade Policy, the Industry and Trade Newspaper, and the Industry and Trade Journal - will continue supporting the ministry’s regulatory functions.

Key structural changes in the ministry

One of the most notable reforms is the consolidation of market management operations. The decree outlines a transition plan for provincial market management offices, which currently operate under the General Department of Market Management.

By June 1, 2025, these units will be transferred to provincial and municipal People’s Committees, where they will be restructured into Market Management Sub-departments under local Departments of Industry and Trade.

The restructuring also includes departmental consolidations, such as the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, which will be organized into three specialized divisions, while the Foreign Market Development Department will oversee six divisions dedicated to different regions and trade functions.

A more focused approach to industry and trade governance

The Ministry of Industry and Trade plays a critical role in managing Vietnam’s industrial and trade sectors, overseeing industries such as electricity, petroleum, renewable energy, chemicals, metallurgy, mining, food processing, and high-tech manufacturing.

It is also responsible for domestic and international trade regulation, including import-export activities, border trade, logistics services, e-commerce, and consumer protection.

Additionally, the ministry is tasked with trade promotion, economic integration, market competition policies, and trade remedies to safeguard domestic industries.

By streamlining its structure, the government aims to enhance policy implementation, improve decision-making efficiency, and reduce bureaucratic overhead, ultimately strengthening Vietnam’s position in global trade.

A step toward broader administrative reforms

The restructuring of the Ministry of Industry and Trade aligns with Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to reform government institutions, making them more agile and responsive to economic demands.

The government has been actively promoting administrative efficiency, digital transformation, and decentralization to empower local authorities and businesses.

By eliminating redundant units and focusing on core trade and industry functions, the new organizational structure is expected to enhance the ministry’s ability to support economic growth, improve trade facilitation, and boost industrial competitiveness.

Hanh Nguyen