On the afternoon of May 15, the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee’s Propaganda and Education Commission and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a press conference to provide information on the city’s socio-economic issues.
At the press conference, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy, Deputy Chief of the Market Management Bureau under the Department of Industry and Trade, provided information on the quality of goods in the online environment.
According to Mr. Huy, the management of goods quality in the online environment currently faces many challenges due to anonymity, cross-border nature, and rapid technological advancements.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy, Deputy Chief of the Market Management Bureau, speaks at the press conference on May 15; Photo: Phan Anh
The enormous number of transactions, the diversity of business models (ranging from large e-commerce platforms to personal online stores and social media sellers), and the large number of participants make it extremely difficult to monitor and supervise.
Many businesses do not disclose their addresses, are not registered for business, or use social media accounts and intermediary e-commerce platforms to offer goods for sale, making it challenging to identify the entities and address violations.
Moreover, goods advertised online may not match the actual product, especially in the case of cosmetics, functional foods, and fast-moving consumer goods. Many products lack supplementary labels, invoices, or clear origins.
Some violations in the online environment currently lack specific regulations for handling or the penalties are not stringent enough, leading to repeated offenses.
Meanwhile, a portion of consumers still prioritizes cheap prices, are easily attracted by exaggerated and false advertisements, and do not verify product and seller information before transactions.
To tackle the issues of contraband, counterfeit, and substandard goods in the online environment, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade has advised on the improvement of policies related to e-commerce activities to align with practical needs. This includes managing virtual accounts, tracing product origins, and increasing penalties to create a stronger deterrent.
The Department of Industry and Trade has also directed the Market Management Bureau to coordinate with relevant agencies to launch a high-point attack from May 15 to June 15 to combat, raid, prevent, and push back against smuggling, trade fraud, and the production and circulation of counterfeit and untraceable goods, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instructions.
Handling 393 cases of violations related to e-commerce activities
From 2024 to May 2025, the city’s Market Management Bureau inspected and handled 393 cases of violations related to e-commerce activities.
The main types of violations included: trading smuggled goods; trading goods of unknown origin; failing to notify the competent state management agency of the e-commerce website or sales application being used, etc.
The authorities temporarily confiscated nearly 129,000 units of products, including gold, jewelry, clothing, food, cosmetics, and more, with a total value of over VND 8.8 billion, and imposed fines totaling more than VND 8 billion.
Launching an Intensive Crackdown on Counterfeit Goods
In early 2025, authorities and organizations mounted a robust campaign against illicit trade and counterfeiting. Over 34,000 cases of violations were addressed, demonstrating a strong stance against such practices.
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