Many counterfeit commodities from abroad to Vietnam

	14 of 14 supplementary foods of an enterprises were unqualified
	Smuggling is still "hot" on the routes
	AnGiang: Smuggling still complicated

Many consumer goods are counterfeited.

32 commodity groups counterfeited

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the situation of production and trading of counterfeit commodities which infringe upon intellectual property rights continues.

Counterfeit commodities infringing upon intellectual property rights mainly are clothing, electronics, home appliances, cosmetics, supplementary foods and fertilizers. Most counterfeit commodities are illegally transported to processing facilities in Vietnam to pack and manufacture.

Accordingly, perpetrators smuggle raw materials without certificate of origin and quality for packaging and labeling as normal products to supply to the market. These products are mixed with real products to sell in remote areas, affecting the lives and health of consumers.

Mr. Le The Bao, the Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Anti-counterfeiting and Trademark Protection (VATAP) said that there were up to 32 commodity groups counterfeited such as refrigerators, alcohol, beverages, plant protection drugs, veterinary drugs and aquaculture products.

For example, in the Mekong Delta, many counterfeit veterinary drugs and aquaculture products were transported across the border to endanger human lives.

The causes of counterfeit commodities and commodities infringing upon intellectual property rights have been quite complicated such as topographic conditions, price and quality of goods not meeting the needs of consumers. Due to high profits, perpetrators producing and trading counterfeit goods, goods infringing upon intellectual property rights have been increasingly sophisticated.

Regarding State management, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the implementation of the guidance of the Government, the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee 389 in localities was ineffective. Even, in some areas, a few civil servants deliberately allowed perpetrators to produce and trade counterfeit goods and goods infringing upon intellectual property rights.

The inspection and handling of counterfeit goods and goods infringing upon intellectual property rights of functional forces have not yet received much support of manufacturers and owners. In addition, the cost of inspections has been high and the time of inspections has been quite long, which has influenced the effectiveness of the inspections and handling of violations.

Moreover, the results of the inspections has been the basis for functional forces to handle, but according to Mr. Bao, inspections have also faced problems because of difference in test results each time.

Should leaders be punished?

At an anniversary day on anti-counterfeiting held in late November 2016, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Truong Hoa Binh affirmed that the prevention of counterfeit goods was the responsibility of the State management agencies, leaders at all levels, local authorities, associations and enterprises.

Therefore, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology to regularly review relevant policies and Laws to detect inadequacies and clarify loopholes to promptly amend and supplement legal framework so as to facilitate the fight against counterfeited goods and goods infringing upon intellectual property rights.

A document in response to the National Assembly’s delegation of Ba Ria - Vung Tau on this issue, signed by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Mr. Tran Tuan Anh showed some solutions for the market control force to supervise, control and handle violations, focusing on fertilizers, garments, electronics, houseware and cosmetics.

Reportedly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade inspected fertilizer from 15^th March to the end of September 2017 with 3 sessions: The first session from 15^th March to 15^th April 2017, the second session from 1^st May to the end of July 2017, and the third session from late August to September 2017.

Actually, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has also acknowledged that there were many problems in policies and legal documents, which caused difficulties for functional forces to inspect, control and handle violations. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is finalizing and submitting the scheme against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in some key areas (Scheme 8) to the Government.

Smuggling is still sophisticated in the Quang Ninh border VCN- Smuggling activities in the border areas of Quang Ninh province are forecast to take place complicatedly ...

Another solution proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade was to promote the role and responsibility of the leaders. If the smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeit goods or infringements of intellectual property rights still occur openly, the leaders must take responsibility and be punished under current regulations.