Warnings of fake goods on social networks

	Further investigation of smuggled shipments seized by HCM City Customs
	Taking advantage of e-commerce to sell fake goods
	Inspecting many business locations trading fake goods of famous brands

Goods in a warehouse have suspicious signs of beingsmuggled and fake goods in Lao Cai.

Smuggled and fake goods are widely traded

According to the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance, in the first six months of 2020, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, many places produced low-quality masks without antibacterial filter and no safety for consumers.

Notably, in recent times, online business activities have increased, potentially riskinglow-quality trade, affecting legitimate businesses and consumers’ interest.

At the thematic conference on inspection and handling administrative violations in the e-commerce environment and digital economy, Director General of Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance Tran Huu Linh expressed his concern that e-commerce in Vietnam is developing in apositive trend but it also has the risk of destabilizing the economy.

Smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin, goods infringing on intellectual property rights are publicly traded on social networkingplatforms such as Facebook, Zalo or on e-commerce websites, e-commerce trading floor. These are also channels of distributing many items that are illegally imported and without invoice or fake goods.

Many online business operators have declared information, registered business activities incorrectly on their personal identities and addresses, regularly changed locations and have not implemented according to specific time and processes, causing difficulties for inspection and supervision bymarket surveillance forces.

Regarding violations in e-commerce, atthe beginning of July, the market surveillance forces in many localities have worked with relevant forces to inspect warehouses and business locations that have signs of storing smuggled goods and goods forged with famous brands. At these locations, competent forces not only seized a large amount of goods but also tackled goods trading linesthat are closely organized from border gates to inland.

Typically, on July 7, the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance worked with the Mobile Police High Command and Department A05 under the Ministry of Public Security to searchthe warehouse of smuggled goods with an area of ​​over 10,000m2 in Lao Cai. The competent forces detected shoes, glasses, watches, consumer goods, cosmetics that are smuggled and have signs of counterfeiting famous brands such as LV, Gucci, Chanel and Adidas.

The representative of the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance said that this activity works in lines and gangs that are professionallyorganized in each stage and has duty assignment and smooth cooperation between participants.All business activities are implemented by abusing online trading for wholesale and retail.

According to the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee 389, currently, competent forces have completed the inspection of goods. Nearly 160,000 products with signs of being smuggled and fake goods have been classified and taken samples for verification by the Market Surveillance forces as a basis for further and handling of the case.

The forces seized 49 used screen computers and 49 used computer CPUs, one laptop, one used camera receiver, one used stamp printer.

Strengthen handling of violations in e-commerce business

At the conference to deploy tasks in the last six months of the year held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An said that forces should promote measures to prevent origin fraud and closely monitor import and export activities of some commodities with risk of trade fraud and fake origin to evade taxes and avoid quality inspection; promptly propose handling measures; strengthen inspection and handling violations of e-commerce business activities, e-commerce trading floors, as well as social networks such as Facebook and Zalo.

In addition, actively monitor the development of smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods according to their management fields and areas to promptly detect and identify outstanding issues and new infringing goods to promptly prevent and handle.

The market surveillance force should continue to strengthen coordination with forces such as Customs, Border Guard, Police and Specialized Inspectorate, especially focusing on directing and deploying tasks assigned by the National Steering Committee 389 to ensure uniformity, creating synergy from the central to local levels in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods. Closely coordinate with associations in providing information to detect and handle law violations in production and business.