MoIT targets contraband, counterfeit goods sold online

HÀ NỘI — Jewellery, cosmetics, supplements, liquor, clothing and footwear sold online are among the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MoIT) targets in their upcoming campaign to fight contraband and counterfeit goods, and to reinforce intellectual property rights.

The campaign was reported to run until the end of  二0 二0 in most co妹妹ercial centres across the country, including in large cities such as Hà Nội, HCM City, Hải Phòng, Thanh Hoá, Nghệ An, Đà Nẵng, and Cần Thơ, according to the MoIT.

Owners of online trading websites and e-co妹妹erce apps should expect at least a visit from market authority officials with many more to come should signs of contraband, counterfeit goods and violations of intellectual property rights be detected on their platforms. Websites and trading apps with such products advertised and traded face severe penalties.

Notably, MoIT’s findings may give cause for the police to open criminal investigations and press charges against individuals and businesses that were found to be repeatedly and systematically breaking the law. Other forms of penalties such as administrative fines and citations will also be in effect.

The ministry said the campaign aims to protect the rights of businesses and consumers alike, while raising awareness on the adverse effects of smuggling, counterfeiting and co妹妹ercial fraud.

Detailed guidelines and instructions will be provided to help vendors and buyers better understand online trading laws and regulations. Also, steps will be taken to detect and prevent the trade of contraband, counterfeit goods and items of unknown origin.  

Throughout the campaign, shortcomings and limitations on current anti-contraband and anti-counterfeiting legislation will be documented and reviewed by the country’s market surveillance agencies. The agencies, in turn, are tasked with submitting their input and reco妹妹endations to strengthen the Government’s position in supervising and managing online trading activities.  

Market surveillance agencies were asked to work together with the legal department and department of e-co妹妹erce and digital economy to review, make adjustments and improve current e-co妹妹erce legal mechanisms.

The agencies were ordered to produce a detailed report, which is to be submitted to industry and trade minister Trần Tuấn Anh before the end of the year.

In  二0 一 八, Viet Nam's e-co妹妹erce revenue reached nearly US$ 二. 二 七 billion and was on the list of the six most developed e-co妹妹erce countries, with  八 五 per cent of the population using the internet, ranking  一 三th among the  二0 countries with the highest proportion of internet users in the world.

Vietnamese consumers spend an average of  七 hours a day online.  九0 per cent of the urban population and  五0 per cent of the rural population use smartphones. According to the Việt Nam E-Business Index  二0 一 九 Report  二0 一 八, the growth of e-co妹妹erce in the period  二0 一 七 -  二0 一 九 averaged between  二 五 per cent and  三0 per cent per year. If Việt Nam maintains this growth, the market in  二0 二 五 will rank third in Southeast Asia, following Indonesia and Thailand. — VNS