From May 15 to June 15, market management forces detected and handled 3,114 violations related to smuggling, production and trading of counterfeit goods with a total fine of over 63 billion VND.
Customs forces inspect seized counterfeit goods. (Photo: VNA)
Immediately after the Prime Minister launched the Peak Month against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and infringement of intellectual property rights (from May 15 to June 15, 2025), the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) directed market management forces nationwide to simultaneously deploy inspection and handling plans with the goal of maintaining market discipline, protecting legitimate businesses and consumer rights.
Regarding this issue, Vietnam News Agency reporters interviewed Mr. Tran Huu Linh with a number of questions to evaluate the general results of the peak period, noting many prominent cases discovered as well as timely handling and inter-sectoral coordination, which clearly demonstrated the key role in improving the effectiveness of the fight.
- Could you please tell us about the recent peak period of fighting against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, which are the key areas and fields that the market management force focused on inspecting and handling? What were the specific results, Mr. Director?
Director Tran Huu Linh : Immediately after the Prime Minister launched a peak period to prevent and combat smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods, the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development directed market management forces nationwide to drastically implement many specific plans and measures to strictly implement the Government's direction.
As an advisory body to the Department of Industry and Trade and the People's Committees of provinces and cities, the Market Management Departments of localities have promptly deployed monitoring and inspection activities in their management areas, resolutely combating, preventing and repelling smuggling, trade fraud, production and trading of counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, as well as acts of infringement of intellectual property rights, especially in e-commerce.
Local management continues to be tightened, with regular coordination with local authorities to inspect and strictly handle violations. The force also organizes surprise inspections focusing on key areas, the circulation of goods, especially the transportation route from the border, international airports to the mainland, business locations, warehouses, yards, commercial centers, supermarkets, wholesale markets, production facilities and craft villages.
In addition, the force has stepped up information exchange with businesses and industry associations to improve the effectiveness of inspection and handling of violations, especially those related to intellectual property rights infringement and counterfeit goods trading. In addition to reviewing and disseminating the law, signing commitments with organizations and individuals in production and business has also been vigorously implemented.
Mr. Tran Huu Linh - Director of the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development - Ministry of Industry and Trade spoke at a conference in Ho Chi Minh City, April 22, 2025. (Photo: My Phuong/VNA)
In addition, the Department also continues to effectively implement Decision No. 319/QD-TTg dated March 29, 2023 of the Prime Minister approving the Project on anti-counterfeiting and consumer protection in e-commerce until 2025; at the same time, deploy Plan 888 on combating and preventing counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin and goods infringing intellectual property rights for the period 2021-2025.
All these measures demonstrate the proactive, synchronous and drastic measures of the Department in ensuring a healthy business environment and protecting the legitimate rights of businesses and consumers.
- In the context of increasingly sophisticated smuggling, production and trading of counterfeit goods, even using high technology to conceal violations, could you please share specifically the results of inspections and handling by the market management force during the recent peak period? What are the notable figures and which typical cases stand out to show the complexity of this situation?
Director Tran Huu Linh : From May 15 to June 15, 2025, the market management force inspected 3,891 cases, detected and handled 3,114 violations.
The total amount of money handled was over 63 billion VND, including over 32 billion VND in administrative fines; the value of confiscated goods was nearly 31 billion VND; nearly 36 billion VND was paid to the budget; 26 cases with signs of criminality were transferred to the investigation agency (an increase of 50%).
In the field of counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights, the force has handled 1,580 cases (accounting for over 52% of the total number of cases), with fines of over 16 billion VND. For smuggled goods: 648 cases (accounting for 21%), with fines of over 6 billion VND.
Some typical cases include: The Department inspected many fashion stores on tourist streets in the center of Da Nang city on May 20, temporarily confiscating more than 500 fake products of famous brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Dior...
At the same time, on May 26, a fake socks manufacturing facility with fake origin and brand was inspected in La Phu (Hanoi) - the case has been transferred to the police for investigation; On May 29, the Saigon Square shopping center (Ho Chi Minh City) was inspected, thousands of fake products of famous world brands were seized, and monitoring activities at this center are still being carried out to this day.
In the fight against counterfeit and smuggled goods, from May 15 to June 3, the Market Management Department of Yen Bai province sanctioned 19 cases of administrative violations, with fines totaling over VND182 million and destroyed goods worth nearly VND186 million. (Photo: Dinh Thuy/VNA)
In addition, the Hanoi City Police coordinated forces to inspect four cosmetic businesses and discovered 3,500 smuggled products of unknown origin on June 9...
Furthermore, there are many other cases in Kien Giang, Ninh Binh, Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan... showing the complexity and increasingly sophisticated scale of violations.
- Director, how is the coordination between functional forces such as customs, police, border guards and market management implemented during peak campaigns? What are the difficulties and shortcomings that need to be resolved in the coming time, according to the Director?
Director Tran Huu Linh : During the peak period of inspection and control under the direction of the Prime Minister, the force closely coordinated with the police, customs, health forces... to improve the effectiveness of handling violations.
Inter-sectoral coordination is identified as a key factor in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of fighting smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.
Specifically, the Department has proactively exchanged and shared information with functional units to effectively serve inspection and violation handling activities.
Typically, on June 9, 2025, the Department coordinated with the Department of Investigation Police on Corruption, Economic Crimes and Smuggling (PC03) - Hanoi City Police to simultaneously inspect four cosmetic businesses in Nam Tu Liem and Cau Giay districts and Son Tay town.
Through inspection, the authorities discovered 3,500 cosmetic products such as shampoo, sunscreen, and skin cream without invoices or documents, showing signs of being smuggled goods, of unknown origin, and mixed with legal goods for sale on the market.
In Kien Giang, the force also coordinated with local police to conduct inspections and discovered 721 fashion products including foreign-made clothes of unknown origin, with signs of counterfeit trademarks, with a total estimated value of about 210 million VND.
Meanwhile, in Ninh Binh, the provincial Market Management Department coordinated with Market Management Team No. 4 and the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department - Ninh Binh Provincial Police to conduct inspections, thereby temporarily seizing thousands of smuggled and unknown origin children's shoes and clothing products.
These outstanding results demonstrate the clear effectiveness of inter-sectoral coordination, contributing to improving the capacity for inspection, supervision and handling of violations, thereby creating a strong deterrent, protecting the domestic market and consumer rights.
- Recently, the situation of counterfeit drugs and functional foods has become increasingly complicated, causing great concern in public opinion. How does the Director assess the seriousness of this problem? What specific measures have the market management force implemented to effectively prevent and handle this situation?
Director Tran Huu Linh : Counterfeit drugs and functional foods are a serious threat to public health. These products may not contain active ingredients, have the wrong content or even contain toxic substances, causing many unpredictable consequences.
Not only affecting health, counterfeit goods also cause economic losses to consumers and legitimate businesses... In the long run, this weakens the pharmaceutical industry and affects national reputation.
Therefore, the Department has advised the Ministry of Industry and Trade and proactively issued many documents directing and urging the People's Committees of provinces and cities as well as units in the industry to deploy prevention, combat, and strictly handle acts of production and trade of counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, infringement of intellectual property rights, violations of quality, measurement, food safety and consumer rights.
Regarding milk products alone, in the past four years, market management forces nationwide have inspected and handled 783 violations, imposed fines of more than VND2.2 billion, and confiscated more than 58,000 boxes and tens of thousands of bottles and cartons of violating milk.
Regarding pharmaceuticals and functional foods, the force handled 985 cases, imposed administrative fines of nearly 32 billion VND, the value of infringing goods was more than 881 million VND, and destroyed goods amounted to 15 billion VND.
Authorities inspected a warehouse and seized thousands of smuggled milk products, functional foods, and cosmetics at a location on Bach Mai Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi, on June 13. (Photo: Tran Viet/VNA)
In the coming time, the Department will continue to closely coordinate with functional forces to strengthen supervision, inspection and strict handling of violations with drugs, milk, functional foods and poor quality products.
At the same time, direct local market management forces to step up propaganda, raise awareness among people and businesses, contributing to protecting public health and consumer rights.
In addition, the Department also recommends that relevant ministries and branches regularly provide and share information about enterprises that have announced products; continue to review and perfect the legal system on standards, quality, food safety, drugs, milk, and pharmaceuticals.
At the same time, specialized and local forces need to review and effectively implement signed coordination regulations, build specialized databases and strengthen information connections.
- In the context of the fight against counterfeit goods and trade fraud increasingly posing many challenges, to build a safe, healthy market and protect the legitimate rights of businesses and consumers, what key tasks will the market management force prioritize, Mr. Director?
Director Tran Huu Linh : To ensure a safe and healthy commercial market and protect the legitimate rights of businesses and consumers, the force will focus on synchronously implementing a number of key tasks.
First of all, coordinate with ministries and branches to perfect the system of management mechanisms and policies suitable for the new context.
On the other hand, continue to build and effectively implement the specialized inspection and strict handling of acts of publicly displaying counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, and goods that infringe intellectual property rights.
In addition to continuing to implement Project 319 and Plan 888 until 2030 on combating smuggling and counterfeit goods; the force will increase information exchange with businesses and industry associations to improve the effectiveness of inspection and handling of violations, especially in the e-commerce environment; proactively grasp market developments, promptly detect emerging areas and items of violations to have effective prevention and handling measures.
In addition, the force will promote the application of technology and data sharing to serve management; strengthen propaganda, popularize laws and sign commitments with organizations and individuals in production and business, especially on digital platforms, to raise awareness of law compliance and contribute to a clean market./.
- Thank you very much, Director!
Source: https://baolangson.vn/chong-buon-lau-hang-gia-tang-toc-lam-sach-giu-niem-tin-cho-thi-truong-5051143.html
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