Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Jewellery, cosmetics, supplements, liquor, clothing andfootwear 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.

Thecampaign was reported to run until the end of 2020 in most commercial centresacross the country, including in large cities such as Hanoi, HCM City, Hai Phong,Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Da Nang, and Can Tho, according to the MoIT.

Owners ofonline trading websites and e-commerce apps should expect at least a visit frommarket authority officials with many more to come should signs of contraband,counterfeit goods and violations of intellectual property rights be detected ontheir platforms. Websites and trading apps with such products advertised andtraded face severe penalties.

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

Theministry said the campaign aims to protect the rights of businesses andconsumers alike, while raising awareness on the adverse effects of smuggling, counterfeitingand commercial fraud.

Detailedguidelines and instructions will be provided to help vendors and buyers betterunderstand online trading laws and regulations. Also, steps will be taken todetect and prevent the trade of contraband, counterfeit goods and items ofunknown origin.  

Throughoutthe campaign, shortcomings and limitations on current anti-contraband andanti-counterfeiting legislation will be documented and reviewed by thecountry’s market surveillance agencies. The agencies, in turn, are tasked withsubmitting their input and recommendations to strengthen the Government’sposition in supervising and managing online trading activities.  

Marketsurveillance agencies were asked to work together with the legal department anddepartment of e-commerce and digital economy to review, make adjustments andimprove current e-commerce legal mechanisms.

Theagencies were ordered to produce a detailed report, which is to be submitted toMinister of Trade and Industry Tran Tuan Anh before the end of the year.

In 2018,Vietnam's e-commerce revenue reached nearly 2.27 billion USD and was on thelist of the six most developed e-commerce countries, with 85 percent ofthe population using the internet, ranking 13th among the 20 countries with thehighest proportion of internet users in the world.

Vietnameseconsumers spend an average of 7 hours a day online. 90 percent of the urbanpopulation and 50 percent of the rural population use smartphones.

Accordingto the Vietnam E-Business Index 2019 Report 2018, the growth of e-commerce inthe period 2017 - 2019 averaged between 25 percent and 30 percent per year. If Vietnammaintains this growth, the market in 2025 will rank third in Southeast Asia, followingIndonesia and Thailand./.