HÀ NỘI — In a bid to stop fraud from sticking, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued a document to various ministries and agencies seeking feedback on the draft decree that will regulate the criteria for determining the origin of goods with Vietnamese origin in domestic circulation.

Accordingly, goods will be considered as having Vietnamese origin if they are produced entirely from domestic materials or if they use imported materials but are processed or further manufactured in Việt Nam in a way that fundamentally changes their nature.

Depending on the production, processing or manufacturing process, organisations and individuals can choose to use one of several terms to indicate Vietnamese origin, such as 'Manufactured in Việt Nam,' 'Made in Việt Nam,' 'Produced in Việt Nam,' 'Origin: Việt Nam' or 'Produced by Việt Nam,' based on the principle of voluntary self-declaration.

Once companies have labelled their products, they will be responsible for proving the validity of the labelling when requested by authorities.

In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of trade fraud through incorrect labelling of goods as being produced in Việt Nam.

Many products made in Việt Nam have good quality and are well-regarded in the domestic market. However, some goods that are either imported or outsourced for production abroad are falsely labelled as 'Made in Việt Nam' to commit trade fraud, misleading buyers and consumers.

The practice of fraudulent labelling of products as 'Made in Việt Nam' not only has direct consequences for the specific products in question, impacting consumers, but it also negatively affects domestic industries, reducing the reputation and competitiveness of goods produced in Việt Nam.

Once the criteria for determining the Vietnamese origin of goods in domestic circulation are finalised, it will help minimise conflicts between producers and consumers while providing authorities with a clear basis for resolution.

The MoIT affirmed that the issuance of this decree would create a more transparent business environment, provide better management tools and ensure consumer rights.

This would also help enhance the manufacturing capacity of businesses, improve management skills and strengthen the responsibility to protect brands and trademarks, ensuring clear, public and responsible labelling by businesses. — VNS