Counterfeit and unbranded goods increase during the year-end period.

OverflowOrchid of unknown origin

Towards the end of the year, visiting a liquor store in Thai Hoa town, I saw a wide variety of Chivas 12, Chivas 18, Massimo Gori, Mario, Vientonorte… with prices ranging from 700,000 to 1.5 million VND per bottle. According to the store owner, these are imported liquors, and customers can buy as much as they need, with all the necessary labels and tags.

However, when asked for an invoice, the shop owner said, "These are mostly genuine imported goods, there are no invoices..." Mr. Tran Van Minh, a resident of Thai Hoa town, shared: "In reality, it's difficult to distinguish between real and fake imported liquor. We just see the beautiful packaging, reasonable prices, and since we're familiar with the brand, we buy it as a gift for Tet (Lunar New Year) to show off."

At Hieu Market in Thai Hoa town and several other markets, you can see stalls selling famous cosmetic brands like Lancome, 3D Fatastic lipstick, Byphasse Solution Micellaire makeup remover, and many other cosmetics such as skin whitening cream, face powder, acne treatment cream… sold at prices ranging from just a few tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand dong per product.

From what I observed, most products didn't have any instructions in Vietnamese, but according to the sellers, these were "imported" goods brought back from abroad by relatives, so they didn't have Vietnamese labels. They claimed the goods were reputable and that if anything went wrong after use, they would compensate you double the price.

Investigations have revealed that some cosmetics stores in Dien Chau and Yen Thanh districts also sell genuine products with valid licenses alongside smuggled and counterfeit goods, deceiving consumers. Furthermore, many cosmetics of unknown origin are presented by store owners as "imported" goods bearing famous brands from Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Canada, etc., easily winning over consumers and leading them to purchase them at inflated prices.

As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the market for various types of confectionery sees a significant increase compared to normal days. Worryingly, many types of confectionery with unclear origins and labeling violations are being sold rampantly in markets, shops, and kiosks in every corner of rural areas, posing a potential food safety risk to consumers during Tet.

At Tan Ky market area, Lat town, Tan Ky district, it can be seen that many types of confectionery and most other items are available.No origin labels or markingsMany types of sweets and candies are displayed in plastic trays and bags. These candies and cakes, priced from 80,000 to 150,000 VND per kilogram, are advertised as being imported from large confectionery companies. Most of the stalls already have customers. The majority of buyers are wholesalers who will resell them in their neighborhoods.

The commercial center of Tan Ky town offers a wide variety of goods for sale.Household goods made of aluminum, plastic, earthenware, porcelain, and electrical appliances for Tet (Lunar New Year) are quite disorganized. Most are inexpensive, convenient, and diverse – a readily apparent characteristic of these items. For example, non-stick aluminum pans cost 120,000 VND each but lack labels or markings.

Electric rice cookers are priced at 450,000 VND/piece, electric kettles at 200,000 VND/piece... In addition, during the period leading up to Tet, there are quite a lot of counterfeit goods with unclear origins such as clothes, helmets, fish sauce, MSG, laundry detergent… In Vinh City, there are many supermarkets, but many products are claimed by vendors to be imported and often lack Vietnamese subtitles or invoices.

Strengthening the fight against counterfeit goods and trade fraud during Tet holiday.

According to a report by the Nghe An Market Management Department, in 2023, the department handled 3,023 cases, collecting 6 billion VND for the state budget.

Recently, authorities in Nghe An province have continuously detected and handled numerous cases of trading in smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, and goods of unknown origin. For example, in early December 2023, Vinh City Police inspected 63 kiosks, discovering 32 in violation and seizing nearly 5,000 confectionery products of unknown origin.

On December 18, 2023, Market Management Team No. 3, in coordination with the Economic and Environmental Police Department of the Provincial Police, inspected Ngoc Khang Clean Food Import-Export Co., Ltd. (located in Mai Loc Hamlet, Hung Dong Commune, Vinh City, Nghe An Province). They discovered the company was trading 523 kg of frozen pork products of unknown origin. Authorities imposed an administrative fine of 50 million VND and ordered the destruction of all the infringing goods.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Market Management Department, said: The period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) is the time when smuggling, trade fraud, and the production and sale of counterfeit goods are most complex throughout the year. Many items are counterfeited, including: alcoholic beverages, beer, clothing, shoes, hats, cosmetics, jewelry, watches, etc.

In particular, counterfeit, substandard, and unbranded goods are sold by these individuals on e-commerce platforms and social media sites. Meanwhile, many consumers are tempted by low prices, making them easy targets for these unscrupulous sellers.

To effectively combat smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday, the functional agencies of Nghe An province, including the Market Management Department, the Police, the Border Guard, and local authorities, are strengthening market inspection and control and strictly handling violations related to hoarding, price listing, e-commerce, business, transportation, storage of prohibited goods, smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, counterfeit goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights, substandard goods, and trade fraud.

Focus on inspecting essential goods and items with high consumer demand during the year-end and Lunar New Year holidays, such as electronics, home appliances, clothing, shoes, confectionery, sugar, fruits, cigarettes, new generation cigarettes, alcohol, beer, soft drinks, fresh food items, gasoline, and gas.

Coordinate and exchange information with functional forces of the Police, Customs, and Border Guard to effectively organize and implement the fight against smuggling and trade fraud in border areas, seaports, airports, warehouses, goods collection points, and domestic markets.

Furthermore, the Department of Industry and Trade focuses on monitoring and evaluating the supply and demand of goods, especially essential goods, goods with high demand, or goods with significant price fluctuations in the area. It proactively develops plans or proposes measures to relevant agencies to ensure a balance between supply and demand, stabilize the market, and prevent shortages or disruptions in the supply chain that could lead to sudden price increases during the year-end and Lunar New Year holidays.

To strengthen measures against counterfeit goods, imitation products, and trade fraud, in addition to the decisive involvement of law enforcement agencies, consumers should only purchase goods from businesses with clear addresses, or use barcode verification software to determine the origin of goods.