Vietnam has formally ratified the Heritage Sovereignty Act 2026, a landmark piece of legislation that clarifies the legal status of thousands of shipwrecks within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The law mandates that all vessels and artifacts dating to the colonial era and earlier are the exclusive property of the state, effectively banning private commercial salvage operations and establishing strict new protocols for scientific maritime archaeology.
The act is intended to combat the illicit trade in "shipwreck ceramics" and precious metals that has plagued the South China Sea for decades. By centralizing control, the Vietnamese government plans to establish a new national maritime museum network to display significant finds from the "Ceramic Road," the ancient maritime trade route that linked the regional kingdoms to the Middle East and Europe through the centuries.