Latest Insights on Counterfeit Goods: Essential Knowledge for Every Consumer

According to the Government’s electronic information portal, on November 19, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department, provided detailed information about Plan No. 622 dated October 20, 2025. This plan focuses on inspecting and addressing smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property violations during the final months of 2025 and before, during, and after the 2026 Bính Ngọ Lunar New Year. The implementation period runs from October 20, 2025, to April 10, 2026.

Mr. Huy reported that in just one month, the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department inspected 348 cases and seized 529,694 product units. Among these, 32 cases involved smuggled goods totaling over 31,000 products, valued at nearly 2.5 billion VND. Additionally, 181 cases of goods with unclear origins were recorded, with over 341,000 products seized, valued at more than 6.3 billion VND. These two categories accounted for the largest proportion of the 338 violations detected during the peak period.

The violating goods were primarily found in warehouses, small retail outlets, distribution centers for online sales, and collection points supplying e-commerce platforms.

Several large-scale cases were noted, including an inspection on November 12 in Hòa Lợi and Lái Thiêu wards (Bình Dương area), where 25,459 electrical appliances, food items, stationery products, and more were discovered without proper documentation. These goods, valued at over 3.2 billion VND, were intended for e-commerce sales.

In the food and dietary supplement sector, which directly impacts public health, market management authorities consistently identified violations. As of November 18, 57 food-related violations were recorded, with 3.1 tons and over 200,000 units of food products of unknown origin or smuggled goods seized. Additionally, 18,119 boxes of smuggled dietary supplements, valued at over 800 million VND, were confiscated from a company in Phú Định ward and a retail outlet in An Lạc ward.

A common trend in this year’s peak violations is the storage of goods in multiple small, dispersed warehouses, followed by distribution to online sales points or shipment to other provinces. Many products lack secondary labels, invoices, or basic manufacturer information. For food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics, this poses significant risks to consumer health.

To enhance efforts against counterfeit, fake, and substandard goods, Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy stated that the Ho Chi Minh City Market Management Department will continue to direct its teams to rigorously implement the Plan. This includes strengthening manpower, organizing territorial management, and assigning officials for on-duty shifts, particularly from December through the 2026 Bính Ngọ Lunar New Year. Key tasks will be prioritized with a proactive, decisive, and continuous approach.

The Department will intensify market inspections and controls, especially during the year-end holidays and Tet, to promptly detect and severely penalize violations. This focus includes widespread issues in the production and trade of counterfeit, substandard, and untraceable goods. Priority will be given to inspecting and addressing violations in key areas and essential sectors such as fuel, fertilizers, food, beverages, tobacco (especially new-generation products), dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion, and electronics.