Vietnam Targets Counterfeit Luxury Goods as Global Pressure Mounts

Mon Sep 14 2026 08:18:52 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Vietnam launches aggressive crackdown on counterfeit luxury goods, seizing thousands of fake slippers and high‑value items amid international scrutiny.

Vietnam’s police raided warehouses and market stalls to seize more than 23,000 counterfeit slippers and a range of fake designer items, triggering a nationwide crackdown on intellectual‑property infringement. The government has tightened inspections, especially in Saigon Square and Ben Thanh Market, and police dismantled a counterfeit jewellery ring that made over $1 million in illicit profits. While some street vendors pledge to close stalls, others claim the crackdown may actually raise prices and give genuine designers an advantage, yet buyers in rural areas still turn to fakes to afford luxury brands.

Vietnam Targets Counterfeit Luxury Goods as Global Pressure Mounts

Fake designer bags displayed in a Vietnamese market

Earlier this week, Vietnam’s police raided a pair of nondescript warehouses in Ho Chi Minh City and seized more than 23,000 pairs of counterfeit slippers branding Nike, Adidas, Crocs and Gucci. The goods, worth an estimated VND 2 billion (about £57,559), were just the tip of a black‑market iceberg that has long been a global hub for cheap knock‑offs of luxury brands.

At a flea market just 30 km away, the same fake slippers – which can cost up to $900 on authorised retail sites – sold for as little as $30. The stalls also held counterfeit Chanel handbags, Prada T‑shirts and Rolex watches, reflecting the breadth of the counterfeit industry that thrives in the country’s bustling markets.

Vietnam’s new nationwide crackdown on intellectual property, launched on 7 May, targets counterfeit goods, online piracy and trademark infringements. The initiative comes at a time when the United States has named Vietnam a “priority foreign country” for IP enforcement, a designation that had never been applied to a country in the past 13 years.

“Enforcement has become stricter,” says Thanh Truc, a vendor in Saigon Square, explaining that while authorities occasionally raid, they tend to focus on high‑value items like handbags or suitcases rather than lower‑priced goods such as slippers.

In May, the Ministry of Industry and Trade pledged a 20% increase in IP violation busts compared with the same period last year. A series of surprise inspections at Saigon Square and the neighbouring Ben Thanh Market saw police seize counterfeit goods and issue fines totaling more than $19,000.

The crackdown is not just a domestic effort. On 10 June, police in Thanh Hoa province dismantled a ring that manufactured and sold more than 10,000 counterfeit jewellery items designed to look like Bvlgari, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany & Co., earning an estimated $1.14 million for the syndicate.

Many local vendors are divided on the impact. Thi Nguyen, who designs and sells original clothing, says the crackdown removes “cheaters” from the market and could help legitimate artisans raise prices and earn fair wages. She argues that customers willing to pay $75 for a fake designer dress would pay a higher price for a genuine piece made with quality fabric.

Yet for many Vietnamese, especially in rural areas where the average monthly income is just $225, counterfeit goods remain vital for their personal style and affordability. Professor Thi Thanh Huong Tran of SKEMA Business School notes that the economic reality keeps the demand high; if consumers cannot afford authentic brands, they will still buy counterfeits.

Experts warn that even broad crackdowns are hard to eradicate because vendors adapt by changing brand names or designs. They find a way to skirt IP laws while still offering products that mimic luxury aesthetics, ensuring that the market may simply shift, rather than disappear.

Vietnam’s focus on tightening IP law amid US pressure illustrates the country’s struggle between its economic reliance on cheap fashion and the growing global demand for genuine luxury. Whether the crackdown will succeed remains to be seen, but the nation’s leaders are determined to lift its reputation as a haven for knock‑offs.