HCM CITY — Competing based on value rather than price will help e-commerce sellers achieve sustainable development, experts shared at the TikTok Shop Vietnam Summit 2025 themed "Fun selling – Sustainable Growth", held in HCM City on Thursday.

Utilising technology to enhance transparency in the entire supply chain, from farming and manufacturing to processing, is essential for consumers to distinguish high-quality products. This shift towards competing on value rather than price was highlighted by the experts.

Nguyễn Minh Tiến, director of the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture and Environment, emphasised at the summit that in the current context of global green transformation and digitalisation, Việt Nam should not continue producing cheap, low-cost goods as before. 

Tiến stressed the significant role of technology platforms, especially social networks, in connecting Vietnamese agricultural products with consumers. 

He illustrated this point by explaining how social networks enable storytelling for individual products like mangoes, meat, and fish sauce, offering more insight into their origins.

He further proposed that in the current two-tier governmental structure, with 3,300 wards in the country, establishing e-commerce channels for each commune to showcase and narrate stories about local agricultural products. could create a lasting and impactful effect.

Nguyễn Lâm Thanh, representing TikTok Vietnam, suggested a collaboration initiative at the summit to implement the "Green - Clean - Digital" programme, aimed at supporting the 3,300 wards in Việt Nam to promote and sell agricultural goods on e-commerce platforms.

Another topic discussed at the summit was the quality control of livestreaming in e-commerce, emphasising the need for strict supervision in such activities.

Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, director of the Centre for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development (eComDX), shared that the draft amended E-commerce Law is being finalised to tighten regulations on online sales activities, particularly livestreaming.

Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) and Key Opinion Consumers (KOC) – influencers on social media – are required to undergo legal training in e-commerce and obtain certification to livestream the sale of products, with the aim of fostering professionalism, transparency, and accountability in the digital commerce landscape.

Presently, livestreaming activities lack control and pose risks to consumers. The new law aims to establish a framework that ensures KOLs and sellers meet clearer responsibilities, particularly regarding product information and origins, emphasised Tuấn.

A notable aspect of the law is the shared responsibility of e-commerce platforms. Upon detecting any violations, platforms are required to promptly remove the products within 24 hours. Failure to comply will result in penalties being enforced.

The draft law is being developed in tandem with a complementary directive and is anticipated to be effective from January 1, 2026. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has outlined communication and training programmes, both online and offline, for sellers, KOLs, and digital marketing teams, to help them better comprehend and conduct their professions in a more professional and responsible manner within the digital economy era.

During the summit, TikTok Shop unveiled impressive growth figures for 2024, reinforcing its dedication to long-term investments to constructing a sustainable and trusted e-commerce environment in Việt Nam.

By the end of 2024, the entire platform had recorded a growth rate 1.8 times higher than that of 2023. The growth was mainly driven by key components such as the TikTok Shop Mall, affiliate marketing, live streams, short videos, Shop Tab, and the influx of new customers, thereby creating extensive market opportunities for sellers. 

Particularly noteworthy was the participation of nearly 2,400 authentic brands and distributors, leading to the TikTok Shop Mall system achieving close to threefold growth compared to 2023. In the first half of 2025, this growth trend continued, with over 1,600 new official sellers joining the platform. — VNS