The event aimed to support the implementation of national policies on digital and economic transformation while safeguarding consumer rights.

It also helped materialize directives outlined in Resolution 57-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo, alongside legal documents on digital transformation, logistics, agriculture, e-commerce, and data protection.

Tracing the origin of goods to eliminate counterfeits

In his opening remarks, Colonel Pham Minh Tien stated that counterfeit and substandard products continue to plague everything from supermarkets to hospitals, placing a heavy burden on authorities and creating uncertainty for consumers. Therefore, ensuring product authenticity, transparency, and traceability is not only crucial for state management but also essential for building domestic market trust and facilitating global integration.

According to Colonel Tien, in the first five months of 2025, authorities nationwide handled more than 40,000 cases of smuggling, counterfeit, and low-quality goods, with total fines amounting to approximately 255 million USD. Counterfeit products in food and pharmaceuticals remain especially problematic, posing serious health and safety risks.

Colonel Tien stressed that from a data governance perspective, deploying modern traceability platforms that utilize advanced technologies like blockchain is a vital solution to improving market supervision, ensuring product safety, and enhancing transparency across supply chains.

“It is noteworthy that these platforms are developed by Vietnamese companies and engineers, tailored to the domestic market, and increasingly aligned with national data infrastructure standards. As the agency responsible for advancing data application in state governance, the National Data Center - Ministry of Public Security supports these solutions with the necessary technical, legal, and cybersecurity frameworks to ensure maximum effectiveness,” Colonel Tien said.

Bui Ba Chinh, Acting Director of the National Barcode Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, categorized counterfeits into three types: brand fakes, quality fakes, and origin fakes. In 2024 alone, 34,000 cases were handled. Notable examples include counterfeit medications in Ho Chi Minh City, fake milk in Hanoi, imitation electronics in Hanoi, and fake cosmetics in Nghe An. These incidents not only impact Vietnamese manufacturers but also tarnish the national brand.

Chinh advocated for the use of barcodes to trace product origins. Countries like the United States, Canada, and those in Europe already implement standardized traceability across entire production and export chains. He hopes Vietnam can adopt a transparent traceability system, enabling full product identification and public oversight.

This digital passport for products is essential for international market access and elevating the country’s export capabilities. Effective traceability requires integration of data across ministries, sectors, and local governments.

Mandatory disclosure of product information via barcodes to enable traceability

Vietnam has so far issued 35 national standards on traceability, but these need broader application across supply chains. Nonetheless, many countries continue to struggle with product traceability.

At the seminar, Hoang Tuan Anh, Chief Technology Officer at ECO Pharma, explained that his company has implemented several solutions such as QR codes for product traceability. However, the counterfeit ecosystem is like a maze, prompting the company to constantly adapt with new measures.

These solutions are developed independently by businesses to protect customers, without formal endorsement from government agencies. Moreover, companies must invest heavily in digital platforms to support customer verification, incurring high operational costs.

Additionally, businesses lack interoperability and integration with national data systems. Hoang Tuan Anh suggested the need for a national-level authentication system that allows consumers to verify products at the point of sale.

Nguyen Huy, Head of Technology at the National Data Association, pointed out that while traceability isn't a new concept, it has become increasingly urgent and widely discussed in recent years.

Although regulations exist and several organizations and businesses have started implementing traceability solutions, efforts remain fragmented and inconsistent. A comprehensive top-down mechanism is still lacking.

Currently, each enterprise develops its own internal solution. Even large companies that have systems in place still lack a unified national or internationally compatible standard. Moreover, these standards are not yet validated by state authorities, operating instead within the limited scope of each company.

“In the context of national digital transformation and economic digitization, applying technology to product traceability must be mandatory. It should be implemented through comprehensive policies from central to local levels, ensuring all businesses comply. Only then can we effectively identify, authenticate, and trace product origins,” Nguyen Huy concluded.

Thai Khang