Temu Suspends Services in Vietnam After Missing Registration Deadline

Shopping platform Temu has halted its operations in Vietnam after failing to meet a government deadline to register with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, according to state media reports on Thursday.

Customs Clearance Stopped

As of the missed registration deadline at the end of November, goods ordered through Temu were no longer being cleared by Vietnamese customs. This has forced the Chinese-owned company, a subsidiary of e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, to suspend its services in the country.

Temu has not provided a timeline for when it might resume operations in Vietnam. On its app, the Vietnamese language interface has been removed, leaving users with options for English, Chinese, and French.

A Temu spokesperson told Ekohotblog that the company is working with Vietnamese authorities and has submitted the necessary documents for registration.

Meanwhile, online fashion retailer Shein—founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore—also faced the same registration deadline.

Its Vietnamese website is currently “temporarily unavailable,” with the company confirming it is cooperating with the ministry to complete the registration process. However, state media reports on Thursday did not mention Shein’s situation.

Temu’s rapid success in Vietnam since launching in October has attracted significant attention.

The platform offered discounts as high as 90% and free shipping, quickly drawing in local consumers.

However, the Ministry of Industry and Trade raised alarms soon after Temu’s arrival, citing concerns over the platform’s unusually low prices.

Officials warned that these discounts could harm local producers and questioned the authenticity of some goods being sold, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Temu, which launched in 2022, has grown rapidly, becoming one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in the United States and one of the fastest-growing in Europe. However, it has faced mounting scrutiny internationally.

As Temu navigates these challenges, its suspension in Vietnam highlights the difficulties the platform faces in complying with regulations while expanding its global footprint.