Can my Vietnamese company sue a dominant supplier for forcing exclusive dealing contracts?

Courts in Vietnam are evidence-driven, and damages claims fail most often due to weak proof. You'll typically need some of evidence: Written agreements on whether there is exclusive purchasing clause; mails, messages, letters stating: "Buy only from us"; "If you buy from others, we stop delivery"; Internal meeting minutes or recordings; Witness statements from your staff or former supplier employees. Should you need our legal assistance on this case, please feel free to contact our Contract and Litigation Partner at: Ms. Ho Thi Tram (Vera). LL.M. – Partner. Attorney-at-law, Arbitrator, Mediator. A Ho Chi Minh Office: Ground Fl. HBT Tower, 456-458 Hai Ba Trung Str., Tan Dinh Ward, HCM City, VN Ha Noi Office: OF-04, Level 2, Block R4, Royal City, 72A Nguyen Trai Str., Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi City, VN

According to the legal contract among the affiliated parties, the attorneys and CPAs may review it and provide you with our specific assistance for the further steps. If you are interested, please contact us as soon as you have your needs.

If a supplier requires you to purchase exclusively from them and threatens to stop deliveries otherwise, this may raise concerns under Vietnam’s Competition Law, particularly if the supplier holds a dominant position in the market. In some circumstances, imposing exclusive purchasing obligations that restrict a distributor’s ability to work with other suppliers may be considered an anti-competitive practice.

To evaluate and pursue a claim, you should gather key evidence such as:

- The distribution or supply contract with the supplier
- Written communications showing the exclusive purchasing requirement or threat to stop deliveries
- Evidence of the supplier’s market position
- Sales records or financial data demonstrating losses caused by the restriction

Depending on the circumstances, you may file a complaint with the Vietnam Competition Commission or initiate a civil lawsuit in court to claim compensation for actual damages, including lost profits.

La Défense is a Vietnam-based law firm advising domestic and international clients on competition law, commercial disputes, and distribution agreements.