HANOI: The paper industry is urging authorities to address regulatory bottlenecks in the domestic waste paper supply chain, saying tax and documentation requirements are raising costs for recycled raw materials and could undermine the country’s circular economy goals.
Domestic paper production reached about 6.34 million tonnes in 2025, while consumption rose to an estimated 7.77 million tonnes, up 10.8% from a year earlier, according to the Vietnam Paper and Pulp Association (VPPA).
Packaging paper accounted for more than 80% of total output, with demand expected to continue growing alongside eCommerce, logistics, exports and the shift away from plastic packaging.
The industry recycles more than 3.5 million tonnes of waste paper annually, providing a key source of raw materials while helping reduce landfill waste, conserve resources, lower greenhouse gas emissions and support jobs in the collection sector.
Unlike many manufacturing industries that rely on concentrated sources of raw materials, the recycled paper supply chain depends on a fragmented network of individual collectors, collection points, baling stations, traders and recycling mills.
Small-scale collectors account for a significant share of the industry’s domestic raw material supply but many operate informally, lack business registration, do not use electronic invoices and continue to conduct transactions primarily in cash.
Industry representatives say this creates compliance challenges for paper manufacturers, which must document purchases for tax purposes despite dealing with thousands of small transactions across the collection chain.
The biggest obstacle for paper recycling businesses lies in raw material procurement, a representative of the Hai Phong-based HHP GLOBAL JSC said at a recent meeting with VPPA.
According to the representative, before waste paper reaches collection stations, hundreds or even thousands of transactions have already taken place.
Requiring complete seller information, invoices, supporting documents and payment records for every transaction creates an administrative burden that does not reflect operational realities.
Under the current tax regulations, tax obligations for household and individual businesses depend on revenue, business activity and tax calculation method.
The framework governing tax and invoice management for such businesses is being updated under the 2025 Law on Tax Administration and implementing decrees that took effect on July 1, 2026.
Industry participants say compliance costs are often passed on through higher transaction prices, increasing the cost of domestically sourced recycled paper.
Businesses also point to differences in value-added tax (VAT) treatment between domestic and imported waste paper.
Purchases from domestic suppliers paying VAT under the direct method generally do not allow buyers to separately deduct VAT.
The full payment is instead recorded as part of production costs.
By contrast, imported waste paper can qualify for VAT deductions when businesses meet the requirements under the VAT law and retain the necessary import tax documentation. — Viet Nam News/ANN
