On the afternoon of November 18, the Office of the Domestic Market Management and Development Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced that functional forces had discovered and confiscated nearly 15 tons of smuggled, undocumented sugar from two business establishments on Vo Van Kiet Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Tien Ward.
Upon inspection, all of the sugar had only foreign language labels in Thai and English, lacking the required Vietnamese auxiliary labels, invoices, or documents to prove legal origin. The inspection team proceeded to seal all the seized goods and requested a temporary detention order for further legal processing.
Following the verification process, by November 3, the two violating establishments had paid a total fine of over VND182 million (US$6,895) to the state budget as regulated.
Tran Viet Hung, Head of Market Management Operations pointed out that the case clearly reflects the complex situation of illegal sugar trading, especially during the year-end period when consumer demand rises significantly.
Tran Huu Linh, Director of the Domestic Market Management and Development Agency emphasized that strict control of the sugar market is aimed not only at preventing smuggled goods but also at protecting domestic production, stabilizing supply, demand, and prices.
In the coming time, the agency will continue to direct its units to increase both routine and sudden inspections in key areas, warehouses, and wholesale markets to prevent violations and ensure a healthy, transparent, and fair business environment for enterprises.
