Chinese goods disguised as Vietnamese specialties

Many cases of dirty and toxic Chinese food have been discovered, causing consumers to boycott Chinese goods. However, dishonest traders still deceive buyers by cleverly labeling Chinese goods as Vietnamese.

Vietnamese tangerines (left) have thin skin and are often blotchy. Chinese tangerines have thick, shiny skin.

Cheating Vietnamese consumers

Over the past year, the market has been flooded with the problem of Chinese food disguised as Vietnamese goods to deceive consumers. Chinese goods have flooded the market, overwhelming Vietnamese goods, from fish and meat to vegetables, ginger and garlic...

Earlier this year, consumers were confused by the information that sturgeon was still advertised by sellers and restaurants as Tam Dao sturgeon, mostly imported from China, with the selling price only 2/3 of that of sturgeon farmed in Vietnam. Later, the authorities also discovered a case of transporting 2 tons of snakehead fish from China illegally imported to Hanoi.

Then there are all kinds of Chinese vegetables, tubers, fruits... disguised as Vietnamese goods, appearing everywhere in the market. At wholesale markets, imported agricultural products are clearly Chinese goods. However, when they reach retail markets, they immediately become... Vietnamese goods!

Chinese potatoes are labeled as Da Lat potatoes. Items such as cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, carrots, onions... are imported from China but the seller will introduce them as Da Lat, Tien Giang products.

Chinese onions will be claimed by sellers at the market as Da Lat onions. Ginger, garlic... originating from China are imported to wholesale markets in large quantities, but when they reach retail markets, they will be disguised as Vietnamese goods, making it impossible for consumers to distinguish.

Not only vegetables, the situation of Chinese fruits disguised as Vietnamese goods is also common. Oranges and tangerines imported from China will be confirmed by sellers at the market as Vietnamese goods, taken from Ha Giang, Vinh... Fruits such as mangoes, apples, melons... are also introduced as being taken from Bac Giang, Ha Giang, or goods shipped from the South.

According to a seller, because consumers now do not favor low-quality products, and recently, Chinese products have been found to be of poor quality and contaminated. Therefore, they have to say that they are Vietnamese products, otherwise they will not be able to sell their products and will not get a good price. In fact, shop owners in the markets buy cheap products. However, when they are "labeled" as Vietnamese, they will sell them at prices two or three times higher.

Chinese ginger (left) is more beautiful than domestic ginger but its aroma is far inferior.

Consumers should be alert

The situation of Chinese goods disguised as Vietnamese goods has caused confusion for consumers. And if there is no effective solution, the reputation of Vietnamese goods will certainly be seriously affected.

However, the most difficult thing in localities today is that Chinese goods disguised as Vietnamese goods are only discovered after strict inspection by market management forces combined with statements from transporters. Once they are circulated in the market, they are very difficult to control. Meanwhile, the number of counterfeit Vietnamese goods discovered is only a very small part of the amount of goods with uncontrolled quality that are currently floating on the market.

Therefore, every consumer should be alert when buying to avoid buying fake, high-priced, and low-quality products.

According to experts, due to the use of many stimulants and preservatives, most Chinese fruits are uniform in size, shiny and can be kept for a long time in the natural environment. With just a little bit of discernment, housewives can easily recognize which fruits and vegetables are Chinese and which are Vietnamese.

According to Vietnamnet