Efforts to "clean up" the consumer market

With its unique geographical location as a border province, with many important border gates and trade routes, Quang Ninh regularly faces smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and imitation goods. Fully aware of the serious impacts of this situation on the economy, local reputation and especially the interests of consumers, Quang Ninh province has been implementing drastic and synchronous solutions to prevent and repel violations, gradually improving the business environment in the area.

Market Management Team No. 1, Provincial Market Management Department discovered more than 2 tons of food of unknown origin in Cam Pha ward. Photo: Minh Duc

Resolutely prevent and strictly handle

Quang Ninh always identifies the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods as a very important and long-term task, requiring the drastic participation of the entire political system, business community and people. The province has proactively reviewed and forecasted the actual situation in the area, issued and implemented many directives, peak periods and topics on the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods early and from afar, in the spirit of no "forbidden zones", no exceptions, ensuring strictness and effectiveness. At the same time, promote information and propaganda; encourage people to participate, coordinate in detecting, denouncing, and promoting the combined strength in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

Functional forces such as Market Management, Customs, Border Guard, Police... have closely coordinated, launched many peak periods, destroyed production lines and groups of counterfeit goods with sophisticated tricks. In particular, inspections have been tightened in key areas such as border areas, border gates, warehouses, and inland gathering points. Functional agencies have also increased monitoring and inspection of online business activities, closely monitored units with signs of violations and built a shared database to deal with online commercial fraud.

According to Mr. Le Hong Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, in the face of complicated developments of smuggling, trade fraud and production and trading of counterfeit and fake goods, the Department of Industry and Trade has proactively and synchronously implemented many drastic and effective solutions. In particular, the focus is on organizing the strict implementation of the directions of the Central and the province. Based on the tasks and management areas, the Department of Industry and Trade has directed specialized departments and the Market Management Department to coordinate with functional forces to deploy peak periods of market inspection and control at key routes and areas. At the same time, it has increased the implementation of surprise inspections of production and business establishments with signs of violations, focusing on essential goods and goods affecting the health of consumers.

The provincial Food Safety Interdisciplinary Inspection Team No. 3 inspected a number of production and business establishments in Ba Che commune. Photo: Ngoc Loi (Contributor)

Implementing the Government's direction in Directive No. 13/CT-TTg (dated May 17, 2025), Official Dispatch No. 65/CD-TTg (dated May 15, 2025) and No. 72/CD-TTg (dated May 24, 2025) of the Prime Minister on stepping up the fight to prevent and repel smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and infringement of intellectual property rights, the province has established a Working Group of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on the fight to prevent and repel crimes of smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods.

With many drastic and synchronous solutions, since the beginning of the year, Quang Ninh has discovered and arrested many serious cases of counterfeit and fake goods. Most recently, in early August, the province's functional forces have consecutively successfully cracked down on two serious cases related to food safety and counterfeit functional foods with sophisticated tricks of illegal business entities.

Previously, through proactively monitoring the situation on cyberspace, the Economic Police Department (Provincial Police) discovered that subjects in the province regularly posted information selling functional food products on online sales channels developed from the Facebook and TikTok platforms with signs of counterfeiting and incorrect ingredients as announced. Deploying professional measures, on July 30, 2025, the Economic Police Department inspected and arrested Dinh Thien Ly and Dang Thu Trang, seizing a total of 2,260 boxes of Hebe Luna products, 1,840 boxes of Hebe Libifem, 16,608 boxes of Icobe and 20,218 boxes of Lim Lotus Tea.

The results of the forensic examination by the Institute of Criminal Science determined that the above products are all counterfeit, with no ingredients or lower than the declared ones. For the Lim Lotus Tea product, it contains Sibutramine - a substance banned from use in health protection foods, directly affecting the nervous system of users...

Investigators work and take statements from Dang Thu Trang, owner of a fake functional food production facility. Photo: Ha Tam  

According to statistics, since the beginning of the year, the whole province has detected, arrested, and handled about 1,500 violations, with an estimated value of infringing goods of over 33 billion VND, an increase of 7.7% in the number of cases and an increase of 81.2% in value over the same period in 2024. Particularly in the peak month of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods under the direction of the Prime Minister, the whole province recorded 380 violations, an increase of 31% in the number of cases and 175% in value over the same period in 2024.

The violations were mainly related to smuggling, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights and tax evasion. The amount of fines and arrears in the peak month reached more than 26 billion VND. Notably, in the first 6 months of 2025, the number of criminal cases increased sharply with 35 cases, 60 subjects prosecuted, up 46% and 62.2% respectively over the same period; 1,423 administrative violations were handled, including 1,105 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods with the total amount of fines and confiscated goods reaching 13.7 billion VND. The above figures show the determination of the authorities in making the business environment in the province transparent.

Towards a transparent market for consumer rights

Towards a transparent and sustainable market, recent efforts have brought positive results, contributing to cleaning up the business environment in the province, creating a solid "shield", protecting the legitimate rights of consumers and honest businesses.

In the coming time, Quang Ninh will continue to persevere with the motto of zero tolerance for counterfeit and fake goods. In particular, closely combining the inspection and supervision work of the Party, the inspection work with the supervision of agencies, elected representatives, press agencies, media... to promptly detect, rectify, overcome limitations and shortcomings; detect and strictly handle violators; strictly handle cadres, civil servants, and officers who show signs of moral degradation, corruption, negativity, protection, and assistance to law violators...

Along with that, review the provisions of current laws related to the fight against, prevention and suppression of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and infringement of intellectual property rights; advise and propose competent authorities to consider amending and supplementing provisions that are still inadequate, problematic, and have loopholes...

Along with that, continuing to research, apply modern professional measures and promote technology application, the province will focus on comprehensive solutions to create a healthy and sustainable market. In particular, it will promote the use of technologies such as QR codes, blockchain (an advanced database mechanism that allows transparent information sharing in a business network) and electronic stamps to help consumers easily access product information, from the place of production, processing to distribution. This not only helps people quickly identify genuine products but also puts pressure on businesses to make their production processes transparent.

In addition, the province will strengthen cooperation with Chinese border localities to exchange information and coordinate the fight against smuggling and cross-border counterfeit goods. At the same time, customs and border guards will apply automatic inspection technology and modern monitoring systems to effectively prevent illegal goods from being smuggled into the country.

With the advantage of having many typical OCOP products, Quang Ninh will also focus on building a brand protection mechanism for these products. The authorities will coordinate with businesses to register for intellectual property protection, while strengthening quality control, fighting against counterfeiting and imitation of OCOP products, protecting the reputation and economic value of local people.

Strengthening the control of counterfeit and poor quality goods is not only a task to protect consumer rights but also a key factor for Quang Ninh to prevent and repel violations of counterfeit and poor quality goods, gradually improving the business environment in the area.

Hoai Anh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/quang-ninh-kien-quyet-day-lui-hang-gia-hang-kem-chat-luong-3369928.html