Vietnam Stops Luxury Counterfeit Sales in New Raid
Police raided two warehouses on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City in early 2026 and seized more than 23,000 pairs of counterfeit slippers imitating Nike, Adidas, Crocs and Gucci. The goods, worth around VND 2 billion (US$76,000), were sold at prices barely a third of the genuine items.
Vietnam has long been a global hub for cheap knock‑offs. In one flea market close to the city centre, the same fake footwear is priced at roughly US$30 per pair, while replicas of Chanel, Prada and Rolex are found alongside the slippers.
The sweep came after the United States designated Vietnam as a "priority foreign country" for intellectual‑property violations, a first in 13 years. The U.S. trade representative warned that persistent IP failure could lead to new tariffs.
Viet Nam responded by launching a nationwide crackdown on IP‑violating goods on 7 May. The authorities now aim to increase busts by at least 20% over this month compared to last year.
Retailers Stay Unshaken
Premium vendors in Saigon Square and Ben Thanh market persevere. Local seller Thanh Truc, who now drops fake Loewe tops, says markets simply adjust inventories after raids. "The crackdown is only partial," she says. "Customers keep buying the fakes, they’re cheap and they look authentic."
The crackdown’s impact on local producers is mixed. Some, like design house Thi Nguyen, see potential to elevate prices and concentrate on genuine handmade clothes once the counterfeit trade is curtailed. Others, such as office worker Huy in Da Nang, view the raids as ineffective, noting that the demand for cheap fakes remains high.
Global luxury brands argue that counterfeit sales neither harm them directly—given most low‑income consumers would not purchase authentic items—nor affect margins. Conversely, authorities see the knock‑off market as an economic driver that must be cooled to enforce IP rights.
Viet Nam’s latest enforcement—over 1,400 IP infringement cases in May alone—shows a determined effort to clean up its reputation. Yet market players warn that new designs and brand‑name tweaks will allow counterfeiters to slip through legal cracks.
As U.S. trade officials tighten scrutiny, Vietnamese police continue to dismantle production rings and close market stalls, hoping to restore transparency and fair competition in the fashion sector.
