The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI; "Liên đoàn Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam") is a national organization representing businesses, entrepreneurs, employers and business associations in Vietnam. Its activities include business advocacy, trade and investment promotion, employer representation and support for business development. Under its charter, VCCI is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization with legal personality and financial autonomy, subject to state management by the competent authorities. Its headquarters are in Hanoi.
The chamber was established in 1963 in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. It became an independent organization in 1993, having previously operated under the minister responsible for foreign trade. Its Vietnamese name changed from Phòng Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam to Liên đoàn Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam in November 2022; the English name and abbreviation were retained.
VCCI produces the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), participates in the Vietnam Business Forum and represents employers in national wage consultations. In December 2024, it reported 11,002 full members and more than 200,000 associate members connected through 187 member business associations.
History Establishment and economic reform The founding congress of the Chamber of Commerce of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam took place in Hanoi on 14 March 1963, with 93 member organizations, mainly importers and exporters. On 27 April, Prime Minister Phạm Văn Đồng approved its charter through Decision No. 58-CP. VCCI observes the latter date as its establishment date.
Until 1975, the chamber concentrated on external commercial relations. After Vietnamese reunification, its operations expanded nationwide. It adopted the name Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1982, initially using the abbreviation Vietcochamber and subsequently VCCI. Its activities later developed alongside the Đổi Mới economic reforms.
In 1993, the Government of Vietnam made VCCI an independent organization and authorized its second national congress. Previously, it had been administered by the minister responsible for foreign trade under authority delegated by the prime minister. The reorganization broadened its role in representing businesses and promoting trade and investment.
The regional network expanded during this period. The Northern Coastal branch was established in 1991, the Mekong Delta branch in 1992, and a representative office in Nghệ An in 1994. The Nghệ An office became a branch in May 2015.
Development of policy and business programmes In 2005, VCCI began publishing the Provincial Competitiveness Index with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The programme surveyed businesses about provincial economic governance and provided annual comparisons of the local investment environment. In 2010, VCCI established the Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), following government approval, to coordinate business participation in sustainable development initiatives.
In 2012, coordination of the Vietnam Business Forum secretariat was transferred from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to a consortium of business associations and chambers of commerce. VCCI participated in the consortium as a representative of the domestic business community. During APEC Vietnam 2017, VCCI organized business events, including the APEC CEO Summit, in cooperation with the national APEC secretariat.
Change of Vietnamese name and leadership The seventh national congress, held on 31 December 2021, adopted an amended charter. Decision No. 1496/QĐ-TTg of 30 November 2022 approved that charter and changed the organization's Vietnamese name from Phòng Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam to Liên đoàn Thương mại và Công nghiệp Việt Nam. The decision retained Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry as the English name and VCCI as the abbreviation, and replaced the charter approved in 2016.
On 3 November 2025, Hồ Sỹ Hùng was elected president for the remainder of the 2021–2026 term, succeeding Phạm Tấn Công. Hùng had previously served as deputy minister at the Ministry of Finance and vice-chairman of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises.
Legal status and relations with public authorities Charter and state management VCCI operates nationwide under legislation on associations and a charter approved by the prime minister. The 2022 charter provides for voluntary membership, self-management and nonprofit operation, while making the organization subject to state supervision. It gives VCCI the status of a juridical person and responsibility for its own finances.
The charter assigns VCCI a consultative role in legislation, economic policy, labour relations and trade negotiations. It collects business views and submits recommendations to public authorities. It may also organize business delegations accompanying Communist Party and state leaders and undertake tasks delegated by public authorities.
The Legal Department coordinates work on business legislation and operates VIB Online, a website established in 2004 to publish draft legal instruments and gather business comments. Its work includes consultations with enterprises and associations, research on regulatory obstacles and recommendations to drafting agencies.
Public functions and financing The charter authorizes VCCI to issue certificates of origin for Vietnamese exports when delegated by the competent state authority. It also provides for the certification of commercial documents and force majeure circumstances under specified conditions, as well as support for resolving business disputes through negotiation, mediation or arbitration.
VCCI's revenue may include membership fees, income from services and affiliated organizations, donations, sponsorship and state funding for assigned tasks. Public funding and state-provided assets remain subject to public-finance rules. The charter requires financial transparency and prohibits the distribution of the organization's assets and funds among its members.
Party organization VCCI also has an internal Communist Party of Vietnam organization. In October 2025, the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organizations announced the appointment of Hồ Sỹ Hùng as secretary of the VCCI Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term. His election as VCCI president followed in November.
Organization Governing bodies VCCI is governed by a national congress and three committees. Professional departments, regional branches, representative offices and affiliated organizations carry out its activities.
+ Governing bodies under the 2022 charter Body Composition and responsibilities National Congress The highest governing body, ordinarily convened every five years. It approves the programme for the next term, considers financial and organizational reports, and elects the Executive Committee and Inspection Committee. Executive Committee Directs VCCI between congresses. At least three-quarters of its members must represent full members of VCCI. It elects the president, vice-presidents and secretary-general and determines annual programmes and budgets. Standing Committee Comprises full-time Executive Committee members, including the president, full-time vice-presidents and secretary-general. It manages continuing operations between Executive Committee meetings and supervises the organization's units. Inspection Committee Examines compliance with the charter and resolutions, verifies congress delegates' qualifications and considers specified complaints concerning membership. The Executive Committee must meet at least once every six months. The president is VCCI's legal representative and heads the Standing Committee.
Leadership , VCCI's published leadership directory listed Hồ Sỹ Hùng as president; Hoàng Quang Phòng, Nguyễn Quang Vinh and Bùi Trung Nghĩa as vice-presidents; and Trần Bá Dương as a part-time vice-president. It listed Trần Thị Lan Anh as secretary-general and director of the Employers' Bureau, and Đậu Anh Tuấn as deputy secretary-general and head of the Legal Department.
Departments and affiliated organizations VCCI's professional departments include personnel and organization, finance, international relations, membership affairs and legal affairs, alongside its administrative office and Employers' Bureau.
Affiliated units include the Enterprise Development Institute, the Institute of Technology and Business Innovation, the Centre for Communication and Economic Information, the Office for Business Sustainable Development, the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council, the Entrepreneur Culture Centre, the Vietnam Potential Development Centre and a centre supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. VCCI publishes Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp (Business Forum) magazine. Its organizational directory also lists the commercial entities VCCI Intellectual Property, the Trade and Service Company (TSC), and the Technical Services and Import–Export Company (Techsimex).
VCCI Intellectual Property was established in 1984 and provides intellectual property services. Its professional affiliations include the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, the International Trademark Association and the Asian Patent Attorneys Association. The VBCSD coordinates sustainability programmes and belongs to the global network of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Membership and member associations Membership categories Membership is divided into three categories:
Full members: eligible businesses, business associations, economic organizations and professional organizations serving business activities that are legally registered and operating in Vietnam. Association members can include national or interprovincial sector associations and provincial or municipal business associations. Associate members: legally registered businesses and other organizations that do not meet the conditions for full membership. Honorary members: Vietnamese citizens or organizations recognized for particular contributions to VCCI's work.
Full members may nominate or stand for election to the Executive Committee and, when selected as official congress delegates, vote at the congress. Associate and honorary members do not have these two rights. Members of an association that is itself a full VCCI member may automatically acquire associate membership, subject to the charter's eligibility conditions, the absence of an objection and the rules of the association concerned.
In December 2024, VCCI reported 11,002 full members and more than 200,000 associate members connected through 187 member business associations.
Member associations Business associations hold membership alongside individual enterprises. Examples include:
Association Constituency Membership in VCCI Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Seafood processing and exports VASEP lists VCCI among the organizations of which it is a member. Vietnam Association of Women Entrepreneurs (VAWE) Women entrepreneurs The association announced its admission as a full VCCI member. Hai Phong Business Association Businesses in Hai Phong A decision recognizing its full VCCI membership was presented at its founding congress on 13 April 2025.
Regional organization VCCI operates through its Hanoi headquarters and regional branches. The network includes offices serving northern Vietnam, Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, as well as the Mekong Delta. Regional member conferences discuss congress documents and select delegates, with delegate numbers determined by the Executive Committee in relation to the distribution of members.