Fake goods are rampant in Ninh Hiep market
Reporters of Lao Dong Newspaper recorded at Ninh Hiep market (Gia Lam district, Hanoi) in recent days, showing that the situation of trading in counterfeit goods and counterfeit goods is still taking place openly, despite legal regulations and the presence of functional forces.
At Ninh Hiep market, counterfeit goods are mainly clothes and fabric - items that used to be Vietnam's export strength.
Not only Ninh Hiep, in La Phu commune (Hoai Duc district, Hanoi) - famous for its retail stores of candy and soft drinks - business activities are still bustling. However, most of the goods here do not have invoices or documents.
Traders frankly said: "All are counterfeit goods, smuggled goods, so invoices cannot be issued".
Mr. Nguyen Dang Sinh - Chairman of the Vietnam Association for Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection (VATAP) - pointed out that the reason for the widespread spread of counterfeit and counterfeit goods is due to huge profits, while the penalty level is not enough to deter.
Many smuggled goods from abroad are very cheap because they are not subject to tax, while domestic enterprises have to bear a series of costs such as labor, tax, premises, equipment investment, etc. The more they are manufactured, the more they lose, forcing many enterprises to scale down or change direction, Mr. Sinh analyzed.
Need for strong enough technology and sanctions
Mr. Vu Van Trung - Vice President of the Vietnam Consumer Protection Association compared counterfeit goods to "octopus nuts", blocked from one place to another. He admitted that the authorities have made efforts but are still not strong enough. Counterfeit goods are not only rampant outside traditional markets but also penetrating e-commerce platforms with increasingly sophisticated tricks.
According to him, it is necessary to promote the application of technology and science to identify genuine and fake goods such as traceability, scan codes... to protect genuine consumers and businesses.
In the National Assembly hall, delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong) said that to prevent counterfeit goods, many synchronous solutions are needed.
"First, we must close the legal loopholes that are being exploited. Second, it is necessary to tighten sanctions. The profit from counterfeit goods is too large, causing many people to violate despite paying the fine and then re-offend. Therefore, the public ethics and sense of responsibility of the enforcement officers must be given top priority, said delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga.
Although the Government has issued Decree 24/2025/ND-CP amending Decree 98/2020/ND-CP on administrative sanctions for violations in trade, production and trading of counterfeit and banned goods, the reality shows that many cases are still being ignored or not handled strictly enough.
Mr. Nguyen Dang Sinh said: "The important thing is that the authorities must act regularly, resolutely and according to the correct procedures".
To protect domestic production and consumer rights, a strict legal system, strict sanctions and responsible enforcement forces are needed. Anti-counterfeiting is not only an economic problem but also a measure of discipline and trust in the law.
Discussing with Lao Dong about the situation of counterfeit goods still being sold in the Ninh Hiep market area, the Hanoi Market Management Department admitted that Ninh Hiep market (Gia Lam, Hanoi) has long been famous as one of the hot spots for the production and trading of counterfeit branded products, causing many consequences for consumers, genuine businesses and market order.
Faced with this situation, the Hanoi Market Management Department has developed and implemented plans to resolutely control and handle violations of counterfeit goods at hot spots such as Ninh Hiep market.
In particular, the Domestic Market Management and Development Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) has just issued Plan No. 01 dated May 17 to monitor, inspect, and handle violations of strengthening the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and infringement of intellectual property rights in the new situation. This will be the peak period of implementation of the fight against, scking, and handling of counterfeit, counterfeit, and smuggled goods nationwide.
