Vietnam’s government has ordered a sweeping nationwide campaign targeting online piracy, with music streaming and distribution among its priorities.
The move comes as Hanoi seeks to appease the US, which recently declared that “Vietnam has demonstrated a persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement.”
In its 2026 Special 301 Report published last month, the US Trade Representative said the US first approached Vietnam in 2020 with a proposed IP Work Plan to address IP issues, followed by a revised proposal in 2023.
“However, Vietnam failed to make meaningful progress on these issues in subsequent bilateral engagement, as well as in recent negotiations for an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade,” said the USTR.
“Vietnam’s actions or inactions are causing significant damage to the industries reliant on IP in Vietnam’s market, and in other markets as well.”
“Vietnam’s actions or inactions are causing significant damage to the industries reliant on IP in Vietnam’s market, and in other markets as well.”
US Trade Representative
In response, the office of Prime Minister Le Minh Hung issued a directive on Tuesday (May 5), instructing the Ministry of Public Security to dismantle websites distributing pirated music, films, mobile games and TV programs — including English-language content — that operate with high traffic. The campaign runs from May 7 to May 30.
The order sets a benchmark, with the Prime Minister declaring that the number of copyright cases handled must jump by at least 20% compared to May 2025.
Vietnam is the only priority foreign country in the USTR’s list of trading partners this year, marking the first time in 13 years that any nation has been assigned the severe “Priority Foreign Country” (PFC) designation, according to the USTR.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been ordered to immediately organize inspections compliance with regulations on copyright of music and other digital content across enterprises operating online. Serious violations will be handled directly or transferred to prosecutors. The Ministry of Public Security, meanwhile, is charged with investigating and dismantling the highest-traffic platforms distributing pirated content.
The May campaign also extends to customs, with the Prime Minister ordering the Ministry of Finance to suspend customs procedures for imported goods where there is clear evidence of counterfeiting, with the number of such suspensions also required to increase by at least 20% compared to May 2025.
The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security have also been tasked with intercepting counterfeit goods.
The USTR’s designation and Vietnam’s response comes amid a widening trade gap between the two countries. In March, US data reported by Reuters showed that Vietnam produced the largest trade surplus with the US in January, overtaking Mexico and China.
Vietnam’s trade surplus with the US reached $19 billion in January, surpassing China’s since the second quarter of 2025, and was second to Mexico in the last three quarters, the report said. The trade surplus reached $178 billion for 2025.
Officials said Vietnam’s government has been negotiating a trade deal with the US for months, but no agreement has been reached due to the wide trade gap and disagreements over tariffs, Reuters reported.
On Friday (May 1), Vietnam called on the US to provide an “objective and balanced assessment” of the country’s efforts and achievements in IP protection.
Phạm Thu Hang, spokesperson for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam has made substantial progress in protecting IP including enhancing its legal framework, raising public awareness and bolstering international cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization, the US and other countries.
She said: “Vietnam has also taken firm action against violations of IP rights. This remains both a high priority and a consistent policy of Vietnam to build a healthy and transparent business environment and to transform its growth model with science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers.”
This is not Vietnam’s first IP enforcement push. A similar campaign was launched in 2025 shortly after the Trump administration announced tariffs of 46% on Vietnamese imports, which were later reduced to 20% in July 2025. Those duties were cut further to 10% in February this year, though Washington has signaled it intends to restore higher rates through alternative legal mechanisms.
The focus on music piracy highlights the challenges in Vietnam’s entertainment sector. According to the 2023 Music Consumer Study by the IFPI, Vietnam has one of the highest levels of music piracy globally. The study showed that 66% of Vietnamese aged 16 to 44 admit that they regularly consume pirated music. That’s more than double the global average of 29%.
“Vietnam has also taken firm action against violations of IP rights. This remains both a high priority and a consistent policy of Vietnam to build a healthy and transparent business environment and to transform its growth model with science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation as key drivers.”
Phạm Thu Hang, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The most common form of piracy in Vietnam is stream-ripping, with 63% of respondents saying they download unlicensed music from sites like YouTube via stream-ripping sites like Y2Mate and SnapTube.
In October, the IFPI shut down Y2mate.com, describing it as one of the world’s most visited stream-ripping sites. The IFPI also shut down 11 other similar websites, following targeted enforcement action in Vietnam, and the affected sites collectively received over 620 million visits globally over a 12-month period.
Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, said at the time: “It is a first-of-its-kind success in Vietnam for the music industry, and we aim to build on this momentum to address other infringing services operated from the region.
Music Business Worldwide
