From Prada to Samsung and Lego: Vietnam cracks down on fakes after US tariff threat

Name: After Vietnam threatened with 46% US tariffs, how will Hanoi strike a deal with Washington?
Uploaded: 2025-05-13T07:29:13.000Z
Duration: 8 min 13 s
Description: After Vietnam threatened with 46% US tariffs, how will Hanoi strike a deal with Washington?

Documents reveal a finance ministry directive targeting fake Gucci bags, Samsung devices and Lego bricks as Hanoi tries to appease Washington

Reading Time:3 minutes

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Reuters

Published: 3:29pm, 13 May 2025

Vietnam is stepping up its fight against counterfeits and digital piracy after the United States accused the country of being a major hub for these illegal activities and threatened crippling tariffs, documents show.

Among products that are subject to increased inspections at borders to ascertain their authenticity are luxury goods from Prada and Gucci owner Kering, electronic devices made by Google and Samsung, and toys from Mattel and Lego, according to a document dated April 1 from the customs department of the finance ministry.

Consumer goods such as shampoos and razors sold by Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson products were also included in the list, the document showed.

The crackdown focuses on imported counterfeits, not those that could be made in Vietnam, which are also of concern to the administration of US President Donald Trump.

A clampdown on the use of counterfeit software is also under way, according to a warning from inspectors at the Ministry of Culture sent on April 14 to a local company, whose name was redacted from the document.

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After Vietnam threatened with 46% US tariffs, how will Hanoi strike a deal with Washington?

The letter, it says, followed a complaint from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the industry’s global trade association, whose members include Microsoft, Oracle and Adobe.