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Fashion United
2 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Vietnam launches crackdown on counterfeits amid US pressure
Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci… Tran Le Chi loved fashion, but the US customs crackdown wreaked havoc on her wardrobe of counterfeits 'made in Vietnam,' caught in Washington's crosshairs. 'Clothes help me look trendy,' explained the 53-year-old woman, who sells illegal lottery tickets in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital. 'What does it matter to me whether it's fake or not?' she stated. Chi openly admitted to wearing counterfeits, which never cost her more than one million dong each. 'The real products are not for people like us,' she declared. Vietnam has become one of the world's largest hubs for clothing and footwear production, attracting international brands with its abundant and cheap labour force. However, the communist country is also a hotspot for counterfeiting — a fact that has not gone unnoticed by its main client, the US, which is increasingly concerned about the influx of fakes into its market. This issue has taken centre stage in ongoing talks between Hanoi and Washington, with the US threatening to impose a 46 percent customs duty on products imported from Vietnam as part of a protectionist push to rebalance trade in its favour. Repression 'I never cheated anyone,' defended Hoa, who runs a shop in Hanoi's Old Quarter selling fake Nike, Lacoste, and North Face products made in China but stamped 'made in Vietnam' to appear genuine. Her clients, she claimed, buy fully aware of what they are purchasing. Speaking under a pseudonym, Hoa described the crackdown launched by the communist government, scheduled to last until mid-August, which has led to the closure of sales sites in both Hanoi (north) and Ho Chi Minh City (south). Among the targets was the Saigon Square shopping centre in Ho Chi Minh City's tourist district, identified by American authorities as one of the world's most important physical markets for counterfeits. A 2024 report by the White House's United States Trade Representative (USTR) noted that 'weak penalties had little deterrent effect' and that counterfeits 'remained widespread.' Authorities seized approximately 1,000 fake Rolex watches in the first five months of the year at this mall, located just opposite the modern Saigon Centre—an American-style complex with shops, a hotel, restaurants, and offices, representing its antithesis. Between January and May, Vietnam confiscated more than 7,000 counterfeit products valued at eight million dollars, an official from the national market surveillance agency stated in mid-June. Around 53 cases have been transferred to the police for investigation. Fake socks In Hanoi, law enforcement discovered over 25,000 fake speakers from the British brand Marshall, smartwatches, and pseudo-Japanese vacuum cleaners. A man was arrested at the end of May for selling more than 200,000 pairs of socks bearing Adidas, Nike, and Uniqlo logos—priced at less than 20 euro cents each. In another case, police arrested a man accused of buying six tonnes of confectionery from China and repackaging it to appear as if it originated from Japan or South Korea by altering expiry dates. Vietnam has pledged to strengthen controls over the origin of goods sold abroad. Washington has accused Hanoi of lax enforcement against transhipment fraud, which allegedly enables Chinese products, subject to stricter customs duties, to enter the US via Vietnam. The crackdown on counterfeiting 'plays a role in the strategy adopted by Vietnam to appease the US,' believes Nguyen Khac Giang, a Vietnamese researcher based in Singapore. Meanwhile, Hoa had to close her shop two weeks ago amid fears of police raids. 'I sold these kinds of clothes for a decade without problems,' she said. 'Now they are targeting us, and it's hard to imagine how I'm going to continue.' This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Business Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
[HANOI] Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off US President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products – in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City – the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. 'The clothes help me look trendy,' Chi said. 'Why would I care if they are fake or not?' Chi – a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw – said she had never paid more than US$40 per 'designer' item. 'Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones,' she added. 'They are not for people like us.' A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States as its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said 'low penalties have had little deterrent effect' and 'counterfeit products remain rampant'. Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China – but tagged with a 'Made in Vietnam' label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they are getting. 'My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products,' Hoa said. 'I have never cheated anyone.' Rolex watches, Marshall speakers Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 per cent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown – until mid-August – on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than US$8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from the Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets – seemingly also counterfeits – have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was South-east Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of US$161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, 'the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US'. 'The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns,' he said. But for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. 'I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue,' she said. AFP
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
HANOI: Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly difficult to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products – in part to demonstrate responsiveness to US concerns. Now, there are streets lined with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City – the kind of places Chi used to visit to buy her latest gear. "The clothes help me look trendy," Chi told AFP. "Why would I care if they are fake or not?" Chi – a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw – said she had never paid more than $40 per "designer" item. "Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones," she added. "They're not for people like us." Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the US its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade but said "low penalties have had little deterrent effect" and "counterfeit products remain rampant". Shop owner Hoa – a pseudonym to protect her identity – said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's Old Quarter are from China, but tagged with a "Made in Vietnam" label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they are getting. "My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products," Hoa said. "I've never cheated anyone." Hanoi and Washington are deep in trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 per cent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to circumvent tariffs. The public security ministry also announced a three-month-long crackdown – until mid-August – on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth over $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets – seemingly also counterfeits – have appeared in waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was Southeast Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of $161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although the campaign had other aims – such as improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector – "the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US." "The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns," he said. But for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. "I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue," she said.
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
As Vietnam tries to head off US President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products. PHOTO: AFP Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom - Since the United States accused Vietnam of being a hub for counterfeit goods, Ms Tran Le Chi has found it increasingly hard to track down her favourite fake Chanel T-shirts, Gucci sunglasses and Louis Vuitton handbags. As Vietnam's government tries to head off US President Donald Trump's threatened 46 per cent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products – in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City. Ms Chi – a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw – said she had never paid more than US$40 (S$51.50) per 'designer' item. 'Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones,' she added. 'They're not for people like us.' Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the US its No. 1 export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said 'low penalties have had little deterrent effect' and 'counterfeit products remain rampant'. Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China – but tagged with a 'Made in Vietnam' label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. 'My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products,' Ms Hoa said. 'I've never cheated anyone.' Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 per cent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's Trade Ministry ordered the authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the US and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The Public Security Ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown – until mid-August – on counterfeit goods. Mr Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the Agency for Domestic Market Surveillance and Development, said last week that in the first five months of 2025, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than US$8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets – seemingly also counterfeits – have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was South-east Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of US$161.9 billion. Dr Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, 'the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US'. 'The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns,' he said. But for Ms Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. 'I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue,' she said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
9 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Made in Vietnam: Hanoi cracks down on fake goods as US tariffs loom
As Vietnam's government tries to head off President Donald Trump's threatened 46 percent tariff, it has launched a crackdown on fake products -- in part to show responsiveness to US concerns. Now there are streets filled with shuttered shops in Hanoi and rows of closed stalls at Saigon Square shopping mall, a major clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City -- the kind of places Chi used to go to buy her latest gear. "The clothes help me look trendy," Chi told AFP. "Why would I care if they are fake or not?" Chi -- a betting agent for an illegal game known as lo-de, where punters predict the last two lotto numbers of the standard daily draw -- said she had never paid more than $40 per "designer" item. "Only the super-rich people can afford the real ones," she added. "They're not for people like us." Communist-run Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse that produces clothing and footwear for international brands, with the United States its number-one export market in the first five months of 2025. But it also has a thriving market for counterfeit goods. In a report published by the US Trade Representative in January, Saigon Square shopping mall was flagged as a major market for the sale of fake luxury items including handbags, wallets, jewellery and watches. The report noted government efforts to stamp out the trade, but said "low penalties have had little deterrent effect" and "counterfeit products remain rampant". Shop owner Hoa, a pseudonym to protect her identity, said almost all of the fake Nike, Lacoste and North Face products she sells in her shop in Hanoi's old quarter are from China -- but tagged with a "Made in Vietnam" label to make them seem authentic. She insists that all her customers know what they're getting. "My clients are those who cannot afford authentic products," Hoa said. "I've never cheated anyone." Rolex watches, Marshall speakers Hanoi and Washington are in the thick of trade talks, with Vietnam doing everything it can to avoid the crushing 46 percent tariff that could come into force in early July. Vietnam's trade ministry ordered authorities in April to tighten control over the origin of goods after the Trump administration accused the country of facilitating Chinese exports to the United States and allowing Beijing to get around tariffs. The public security ministry also said there would be a three-month-long crackdown -- until mid-August -- on counterfeit goods. Nguyen Thanh Nam, deputy head of the agency for domestic market surveillance and development, said last week that in the first five months of the year, more than 7,000 cases of counterfeit products worth more than $8 million had been discovered. He added that 1,000 fake Rolex watches had been seized from Saigon Square shopping mall. Mounds of vitamins, cosmetics and sweets -- seemingly also counterfeits -- have appeared at waste grounds outside cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, while fake electronics including Marshall speakers and smartwatches have been confiscated. Police have not specified the origin of the goods, but Vietnam was Southeast Asia's biggest buyer of Chinese products in 2024, with a bill of $161.9 billion. Nguyen Khac Giang, visiting fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that although there were other aims of the drive, including improving Vietnam's business environment and formalising the retail sector, "the campaign plays a role in Vietnam's strategy to appease the US". "The effort partly reflects Vietnam's intent to show responsiveness to US concerns," he said. But for Hoa, her livelihood is on the line. Her shop has been closed for almost two weeks and she has no idea how to restart the business. "I have sold these sorts of clothes for a decade and experienced no problem at all. Now they crack down on us, it's hard to figure out how I continue," she said. © 2025 AFP
