Declaring War on Counterfeits: The Prime Minister’s Crusade Against Fake Goods, Medicines, and Food

On the afternoon of June 23, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a national online conference to review the work in the first six months of 2025 and summarize the peak period of fighting, preventing, and repelling smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.

The conference was attended by: Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Head of the National Steering Committee 389; ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, government agencies; leaders of ministries, sectors, and leaders of provinces and centrally-run cities.

Handling 10,437 cases during the peak month, an increase of 80%

Reports and discussions at the conference assessed that in the first six months, the activities of buying and selling, transporting prohibited goods, smuggling, illegally transporting goods, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods were very complex; notably, the illegal transportation of prohibited goods, smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, counterfeit goods, low-quality goods, and intellectual property rights infringement such as gasoline, oil, gold, alcohol, beer, sugar, cosmetics, functional foods, clothing, frozen goods, and household appliances.

Functional forces have proactively and actively implemented synchronous solutions for inspection, urging, and guiding; information, propaganda, and dissemination of laws; fighting to prevent and handle the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.

Units and localities detected and handled 50,736 cases of violations. Of these, there were 10,862 cases of buying and selling and transporting prohibited goods and smuggled goods; 36,604 cases of trade fraud and tax fraud; 3,270 cases of counterfeit goods and intellectual property rights infringement; collecting over VND 6,532.6 billion for the state budget; initiating criminal proceedings for 1,875 cases with 3,235 subjects.

The delegates assessed that although the results in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods have made positive changes, they are not really solid. The situation of smuggled goods, fake origin, and counterfeit goods is still complicated; the production and business of counterfeit and low-quality goods, goods of unknown origin, and intellectual property rights infringement are still operating openly in many places, increasing on the e-commerce environment with a large scale and long duration, directly affecting the health of the people…

Implementing the direction of the Prime Minister on carrying out a peak period of fighting, preventing, and repelling smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement, and the directives and telegrams of the Prime Minister on this issue, the ministries, sectors, and localities have been implementing seriously, building plans, and launching drastically.

In the peak month from May 15 to June 15, 2025, the units and localities detected and handled 10,437 cases of smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods, an increase of 80.51% compared to the previous month, with 1,936 cases of buying and selling and transporting prohibited goods and smuggled goods; 6,870 cases of trade fraud and tax fraud; 1,631 cases of counterfeit goods and intellectual property rights infringement; collecting VND 1,279 billion for the state budget; initiating criminal proceedings for 204 cases/378 subjects. According to statistics, there were more than 5,500 shops across the country that closed or temporarily stopped operating during the peak anti-counterfeit period.

Many industries and localities have done well during the peak month, such as: C03 of the Ministry of Public Security, the Department of Market Management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the provinces and centrally-run cities of Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu…

However, the delegates also assessed that the effectiveness of the fight against these issues in some localities is low; the organization, division of functions and tasks in state management are still overlapping, missing, and loose, especially in the field of licensing and testing and food production; the awareness and responsibility of some heads of provincial and municipal Party Committees and authorities, units, and functional forces are not high; inspection and supervision are not regular, thorough, and comprehensive, and there is even a situation of collusion and protection for violators…

The delegates proposed to continue to improve the institutions and laws to have a legal framework to handle strictly the acts of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement; strengthen coordination and data sharing between forces, ministries, sectors, and localities; have policies and regimes to encourage forces, especially people, to participate in the fight against, prevention, and repelling of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.

Every day is a peak in the fight against counterfeit goods

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam, the Government, and the Prime Minister paid great attention to the leadership and direction of the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, fakes, and intellectual property rights infringement.

However, the activities of buying and selling, transporting prohibited goods, smuggling, illegally transporting goods, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods are still very complex.

The Prime Minister acknowledged and praised the efforts of the ministries, sectors, and localities in the past time in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement; some localities coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and functional agencies to detect a number of large-scale facilities for counterfeit and smuggled goods.

Along with the results, the reports and opinions of the ministries, sectors, localities, and functional agencies also showed the existing shortcomings, limitations, and inadequacies related to institutions, infrastructure, investment, finance, means, and organization of implementation. Especially in the leadership and direction of the Party committees and authorities of localities, there are still places that neglect, loosen, and do not pay attention; some officials lack a sense of responsibility, some have no fighting spirit, or are bought; the division of responsibilities is not clear; the mobilization of the strength of the people and businesses has not been promoted.

Regarding the lessons, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for attention, leadership, and direction of the authorities at all levels, especially the leaders; the participation of the entire political system, especially the functional agencies, in close coordination to create synergy; taking the people as the center and the subject, mobilizing the strength of the people and businesses.

Based on analyzing the situation and drawing lessons, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh directed the construction of an action plan of the Government in this important task, organizing the implementation of regular and continuous efforts to fight, prevent, and repel smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.

Regarding objectives and orientations, the Prime Minister affirmed that it is necessary to continue to be determined in the goal, resolutely declare war, prevent, fight, repel, and move towards eradicating smuggling, production, and business of counterfeit and fake goods, trade fraud, and intellectual property rights infringement; especially, it is necessary to quickly and promptly destroy, without tolerance, fake medicines and food products because they directly affect the health and lives of the people; handle the issue of intellectual property rights infringement related to the field of industrial culture and entertainment, as well as acts of trading, cheating, and advertising untruthfully in cyberspace…

Emphasizing that fighting smuggling, trade fraud, production and trading of counterfeit and fake goods, and intellectual property rights infringement is a key and long-term task, to be implemented continuously and without a break, and there is no forbidden area, the Prime Minister requested the mobilization of the entire political system, people, and businesses to participate in order to protect the health and lives of the people, protect the rights and legitimate interests of honest businesses, and ensure security and safety for national development. fast and sustainable.

Regarding key tasks and solutions, the Prime Minister requested ministries, sectors, localities, and especially the leaders to focus on reviewing and building institutions and laws; regularly inspect and urge; strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of state management at all levels, sectors, and localities.

Functional forces must continuously launch campaigns, not just focusing on one period, one month, or one time, but must be done regularly, handling one case to warn a whole area and field; working day and night, and on holidays; every day is a peak period.

The Prime Minister suggested launching a movement for each person to be a warrior in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement; at the same time, be a smart consumer in the market.

The Prime Minister requested the ministries and sectors to continue to improve the institutions to fight against counterfeit and fake goods, trade fraud, and intellectual property rights infringement related to their industries and fields, amending relevant laws, decrees, and circulars; improve the apparatus to be strong enough to fight against smuggling, trade fraud; assign tasks and powers clearly to each sector and level; meet the requirements for finance and technology to control the quality of goods, and research electronic identification for each type of product.

In which, the Ministry of Health takes the main responsibility in managing food safety and pharmaceuticals because they are directly related to the lives and health of the people.

The Prime Minister requested the building of a professional and responsible team of officials with high morality and humanity in performing public duties; building mechanisms and policies to mobilize people and businesses to participate in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and fakes; promoting propaganda and dissemination of policies and laws; doing well in emulation and commendation in this field; especially having policies to encourage forces, especially people, to participate in the fight against, prevention, and repelling of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property rights infringement.

Directing and assigning specific tasks to each ministry, sector, and local government in the fight against counterfeit and fake goods, trade fraud, and intellectual property rights infringement, the Prime Minister requested the secretaries of the Provincial Party Committees and the Chairmen of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities to continue to pay attention to directing and leading this task, considering it one of the important political tasks.

The ministries and sectors shall direct the functional forces to deploy tasks to prevent and combat smuggling, counterfeit goods, trade fraud, and intellectual property rights infringement according to their functions, tasks, and powers.

The media and press agencies shall coordinate closely with the ministries, sectors, and functional forces to promote information, raise people’s awareness, help people understand and prevent tricks and frauds; at the same time, manage strictly, and not let the situation of false and misleading advertising happen.

The Prime Minister respectfully proposed that the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations continue to strengthen supervision. The Ministry of Home Affairs should do well in emulation and commendation in this field.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, sectors, and localities to coordinate more closely, smoothly, and effectively for consumers, producers, and for the healthy, fast, and sustainable development of the economy in the next period.