Hanoi exhibition showcases 500 genuine vs. counterfeit products to raise consumer awareness

The event, which is held in response to Vietnam’s Anti Counterfeit Goods Day on November 29, is open to visitors from November 21 to 25 at 62 Trang Tien Street. It runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. 

 The exhibition aims to promote a transparent and safe market and raise consumer awareness of smart purchasing practices at a time when counterfeit products are becoming more sophisticated, especially on e-commerce platforms.

Tran Huu Linh, head of the Domestic Market Surveillance and Development, said the exhibition helps spread legal knowledge and strengthen consumer protection.

The exhibition, which marks the 18th time it has been held, showcases more than 500 products, collected by market surveillance forces during inspections and enforcement activities as well as provided by authorized brand owners.

These product lines have high consumer demand and are easily counterfeited due to their value.

At the exhibition, each item is displayed with real and fake versions side by side, allowing visitors to compare materials, designs and labels.

Market surveillance officers are also present to guide visitors on how to identify counterfeit goods through labels, QR codes, traceability technology and product specific indicators.

The displayed products span various categories including food, agricultural goods, cosmetics, functional supplements, fashion, footwear, and automobile and motorbike parts.

Not only consumer goods such as cosmetics, instant noodles, and spices are being counterfeited, but imported fruits such as Korean grapes and pears are also widely faked.

With packaging nearly identical to the originals, imported pears are often labeled as Korean products and sold at higher prices.

Several items are supplied by the Japan Intellectual Property Association for display to Vietnamese consumers, including Asics sports shoes, Yonex badminton rackets, Canon camera batteries, Transino cosmetics, YKK zippers, NGK spark plugs and Uniqlo clothing.

Even components and equipment for well known motorbike brands such as Honda are being counterfeited.

A company representative said counterfeit parts have become increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish them from genuine items.

The clearest distinction lies in the labels. While both real and fake products have similar colors and text, shining a light on the label reveals the brand “Honda” on genuine items, which is absent on counterfeit ones.