The directive clearly states that over the past period, ministries, sectors, localities, and functional forces have made significant efforts in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement, achieving important results. However, the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement is becoming increasingly complex with a wider scope, more targets, adversely affecting production and business, the health and trust of the people, causing public concern, affecting social order and safety, and the sustainable development of the country.

To combat, prevent, repelling, and ultimately ending the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the people and businesses, protect the security and safety of the people’s health, and contribute to the rapid and sustainable development of the country, the Prime Minister emphasised that the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement is a very important and long-term task, requiring the drastic involvement of the entire political system, the heads of party committees at all levels, local authorities, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, the business community, and especially the people.

The people must be the centre of protection, the subject of the fight, and their strength must be mobilised to create a movement. The political organisation system plays a decisive role; grassroots authorities are the core in organising and implementing tasks against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement.

Prioritising the protection of the people’s health and legitimate rights and interests

Prioritising the protection of the people’s health and legitimate rights and interests. Strengthening state management at all levels, sectors, and localities, enhancing the country’s international prestige and competitiveness; building an independent and self-reliant economy and actively, proactively, and effectively integrating into the international community. This task must be carried out regularly, comprehensively, continuously, and tirelessly with the motto “handle one case, warn the whole region, the whole sector,” “no forbidden zones, no exceptions.”

Enhancing efficiency and creating breakthroughs in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement in conjunction with the process of administrative unit arrangement at all levels, improving management capacity, delineating responsibilities, functions, and tasks, avoiding overlap, omissions, and gaps in state management.

Ministries, sectors, and localities proactively review and develop mechanisms, policies, and legal documents; provide guidance, inspection, and supervision to achieve the goal of preventing, repelling, and ultimately ending the situation of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement.

Building a nationwide movement in the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement

The Prime Minister has requested the Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and member organisations to closely coordinate with ministries, sectors, and local authorities to mobilise members and the people to build a nationwide movement against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement. The Prime Minister has requested the Secretaries of Provincial and City Party Committees under the Government to lead and direct party committees at all levels and the entire political system in their localities to actively fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement.

Closely combining the inspection and supervision work of the Party, the inspection work with the supervision of agencies, elected representatives, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and member organisations, press and media agencies, and the people to promptly detect, rectify, and correct limitations and shortcomings; strictly handle officials, public employees, and irresponsible officers, neglectful of leadership, direction, and management, and violate the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement.

Launching a high-peak attack to prevent and repel smuggling and counterfeit goods nationwide, from May 15 to June 15

The Prime Minister has requested ministries, sectors, localities, and functional forces to launch a high-peak attack to prevent and repel smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement nationwide, from May 15, 2025, to June 15, 2025, after which a preliminary review and evaluation will be conducted.

The Prime Minister has established a working group headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, Head of the National Steering Committee 389. The Prime Minister has assigned the Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and cities under the Government to establish working groups in their localities, headed directly by the Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and cities under the Government, with appropriate participation, to urgently and synchronously implement the high-peak attack effectively.

Avoiding management laxity due to organisational restructuring, affecting the fight against smuggling and counterfeit goods.

The Ministry of Home Affairs shall preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of the functions and tasks of ministries, sectors, and functional forces, clearly defining the responsibilities, areas, and sectors of each agency and unit; ensuring no overlap, no omissions, no legal gaps, and avoiding management laxity due to organisational restructuring, affecting the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement; report to the Prime Minister in June 2025.

The Ministry of Public Security shall direct professional forces and local police to establish specialised cases, conduct drastic struggles, and strictly handle criminal acts; coordinate with prosecuting agencies to expedite the investigation, prosecution, and trial of cases; clarify the responsibilities of relevant ministries, sectors, and localities for violations within their management scope, report and propose handling following regulations; promptly publicise the results in the mass media for general deterrence and prevention; advise competent authorities to amend the Penal Code with sufficiently deterrent penalties to strictly handle criminal acts.

The Ministry of National Defence shall direct the Border Guard and Coast Guard forces to coordinate with the Police and other functional forces to patrol and control border areas, combat smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement, ensuring the maintenance of security and order in land and sea border areas.

The Ministry of Finance shall direct relevant agencies to perform professional tasks following their assigned functions and tasks, closely coordinate with relevant forces to detect and promptly handle enterprises engaged in smuggling, trade fraud, and tax fraud; be responsible for strictly controlling imported goods, preventing counterfeit goods, goods of unclear origin, and substandard goods from being smuggled into Viet Nam.

Building a database on goods as a basis for strategic commodity orientation, traceability, and combating smuggling and counterfeit goods

The Prime Minister has assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to: coordinate with the People’s Committees of provinces and cities under the Government to direct the Market Management force to strengthen inspection and strictly handle cases of trading in smuggled goods, producing and trading in counterfeit goods, intellectual property infringement, and goods of unclear origin, especially violations in the e-commerce environment; be responsible for strictly inspecting and controlling goods circulating in the market, promptly detecting and handling counterfeit and substandard goods.

Coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to propose the development of a database on goods as a basis for strategic commodity orientation, traceability, and combating smuggling and counterfeit goods. Preside over and coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to study and review the Commercial Law, the E-commerce Law, and relevant regulations, and promptly propose to competent authorities to amend, supplement, and issue them in 2025. Preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries to review and study the amendment and supplementation of the functions, tasks, and sanctioning powers of functional forces in the direction of clearly delineating responsibilities, areas, and sectors, avoiding overlap and omissions, and report to the Prime Minister in July 2025, specifically:

The heads of the Market Management force at each level shall be primarily responsible for presiding over and coordinating with relevant agencies to inspect the compliance of organisations and individuals in the business of goods and commercial services in the market.

Specialised inspection and inspection agencies under ministries, sectors, and localities shall be responsible for inspecting from licensing, production, business, and circulation of goods under their management (especially paying attention to medicines, functional foods, milk, and cosmetics under the health sector; livestock, poultry, animals, and animal products under the agricultural sector).

Specify the tasks of the People’s Committees of communes/wards in coordinating with departments/sectors and units to manage, inspect, and supervise production and business establishments in their areas.

Coordinate with the People’s Committees of provinces and cities under the Government to promptly consolidate the organisational structure of the Market Management force in their localities.

The Prime Minister requests the Ministry of Science and Technology to urgently review and amend the Law on Intellectual Property and the Law on Product and Goods Quality, ensuring consistency and synchronisation in legal regulations; strengthen inspection and strictly handle organisations and individuals that violate the disclosure of false information.

Strictly handling the trading and business of counterfeit drugs, smuggled drugs, and counterfeit pharmaceuticals

The Ministry of Health shall strengthen and promote inspection, control, and strictly handle the trading and business of counterfeit drugs, smuggled drugs, and counterfeit pharmaceuticals; urgently review and amend the Law on Food Safety, the Law on Pharmacy, and regulations on the production and business of drugs, food, and functional foods; study and propose to increase administrative sanctions. Launch a movement for the people to participate in and respond to drug and food quality control; at the same time, require scientists and managers of the health sector to sign commitments not to advertise or introduce false or unfounded information about the features and uses of products without verifying relevant legal documents, and be held responsible before the law for fraudulent advertising.

The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade shall proactively coordinate and conduct inspections and post-inspections on food safety, strictly handle acts of trading in counterfeit, toxic, and unclear origin foods; at the same time, complete legal regulations on expertise, techniques, pre-inspection, post-inspection, and goods licensing procedures; especially apply digital transformation and build an interconnected database.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall strengthen inspection and strictly handle violations of forest products, aquatic products, and the production and trading of counterfeit plant varieties, livestock, fertilisers, and pesticides; at the same time, take measures to control the use of growth stimulants for fruits and the use of excessive chemicals to increase weight and prevent dehydration after thawing to falsify volume and reduce quality.

Supplementing sanctions for acts of abusing prestige to advertise false information, especially on social media

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism shall study and supplement sanctions for advertising agencies, advertising implementers, individuals, artists, and celebrities who abuse their prestige to advertise false information, especially on social networks.

The Ministry of Justice shall continue to preside over or coordinate with ministries and sectors in developing, appraising, and completing laws related to the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement.

Funds and resources for the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods and intellectual property infringement are drawn from the regular funds allocated to ministries, sectors, and localities.

The People’s Committees of provinces and cities under the Government shall direct the local Market Management force to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to strictly handle acts of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, fake goods, goods of unclear origin, and intellectual property infringement in their areas; pay attention to socio-economic development, especially in deep-lying, remote, and border areas, contributing to stabilising the lives of the people, and combine innovation and improvement of propaganda and legal dissemination so that the people do not participate in or abet acts of smuggling, illegal transportation of goods, and production and trading of counterfeit goods.

Viet Nam Television, Radio the Voice of Viet Nam, Viet Nam News Agency, and the system of press agencies shall coordinate with ministries, sectors, and functional forces to develop appropriate communication programmes, increase airtime, and disseminate information about the harms of smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, fake goods, intellectual property infringement, and copyright infringement to raise the awareness and responsibility of officials, public employees, and the people; disseminate information about the tricks and methods of fraud of subjects so that the people can recognise, raise vigilance, and inform competent state agencies; strictly manage and control to prevent false advertising on television, radio, newspapers, and specialised magazines under their authority, which can easily mislead the people; commend positive examples and good practices of ministries, sectors, localities, and the people; criticise and condemn negative acts and irresponsibility.