Hanoi has ordered an intensified city-wide crackdown on smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in 2026, with the city’s Steering Committee 389 directing targeted inspections of high-risk products including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and functional foods to protect consumer health and market integrity, according to The Hanoi Times.
The Department of Industry and Trade, as the standing body of the steering committee, will coordinate with police, customs, tax authorities and other ministries to carry out the plan immediately, with inspection teams split into specialised groups covering both physical markets and online sales channels.
Under the leadership of the Hanoi Market Surveillance Agency, the group will crack down on smuggling, trade fraud and intellectual property violations across brick-and-mortar markets, e-commerce platforms and social media.
Authorities are also stepping up monitoring of online sales, flagging and penalising sellers offering counterfeit luxury goods, while public communications campaigns aim to raise awareness of legal obligations and discourage participation in illicit trade.
The intensified effort forms part of broader government directives to contain and gradually eliminate smuggling, trade fraud and intellectual property infringements, with penalties and enforcement to extend through the end of 2026.
Photo courtesy of the Hanoi Market Surveillance Agency.
