Crackdown on Counterfeit Goods: Saigon Square Under Scrutiny Once Again
On the afternoon of May 29, market management forces conducted an inspection of Saigon Square Trade Center in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. As in previous instances, the moment the inspection team appeared, the internal radio and intercom system at the center was immediately activated to alert the merchants. Many stalls immediately closed their doors and covered their goods to evade inspection.
Nonetheless, the authorities managed to access, inspect, and uncover thousands of products bearing signs of counterfeiting famous brands such as Rolex, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Patek Philippe, Longines, YSL, Celine, Goyard, Bottega Veneta, and Prada.
This is not an isolated case. Over the years, Saigon Square has been inspected and penalized multiple times, yet the sale of counterfeit and imitation goods continues unabated.
Authorities inspecting the eyewear kiosk
On September 24, 2024, Team 4 of the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department (now the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Branch) inspected several businesses at Saigon Square, discovering hundreds of clothing, bags, wallets, and jewelry items electroplated without invoices or documents. These items bore signs of trademark infringement and were sealed and temporarily confiscated for handling according to regulations.
Less than two months later, on November 3, 2024, market management forces again coordinated inspections at large markets and trade centers such as Ben Thanh (District 1), An Dong (District 5), and Saigon Square. This led to the discovery of numerous cases of trading in goods of unknown origin and counterfeiting famous brands.
The authorities at that time acknowledged the challenges in conducting inspections due to the merchants’ evasive tactics, primarily through closing their stalls as soon as inspection information was received.
Similarly, in 2023, there were at least two inspection campaigns at Saigon Square, on March 10 and 11 and in late September. The authorities seized products bearing signs of counterfeiting brands such as Nike, Adidas, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry, as well as hundreds of items without valid invoices and documents and signs of intellectual property infringement.
This situation was also observed during inspections from 2019 to 2022.
According to market management forces, under current legal regulations, if the total value of counterfeit goods discovered is less than VND 200 million, only administrative fines are imposed. Only when this threshold is exceeded is the case transferred to investigative authorities for criminal liability. In cases of recidivism after two years, the administrative fine may be increased, but it is still not sufficiently deterrent. As a result, many establishments are willing to pay the fine and continue to reoffend.
This explains why the sale of counterfeit goods at Saigon Square has persisted unabated for many years.
Images from the Inspection of Saigon Square Trade Center on May 29, 2025
Inspecting watches
Fake watches
Authorities inspecting Saigon Square
Inspecting bags
Many stalls closed their doors to evade the inspection team
Stalls without doors covered their goods
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