Nanning Customs Data Reveals Major Routes and Volumes of Counterfeit Goods from China to Vietnam

Trade between China and Vietnam has become one of Asia's busiest cross-border corridors, accompanied by a significant rise in counterfeit goods trafficking. Despite widespread awareness of this illicit trade, specifics regarding routes, volumes, and entry points have remained largely opaque—until now.

From January 2025 through July 2026, Nanning Customs, which oversees Chinese ports along the China-Vietnam border, published 486 penalty decisions related to counterfeit goods intercepted before export. These decisions document the seizure of 799,222 counterfeit units spanning 1,410 item lines and 312 distinct brands. The assessed value of these goods totaled approximately RMB 10.8 million (around USD 1.6 million), with fines imposed amounting to RMB 1.4 million (about USD 210,000).

Each penalty decision specifies the port of exit, the counterfeit goods involved, the brand names, and the Chinese exporters, collectively forming a detailed map of the counterfeit trade flowing southward into Vietnam.

Five principal land crossings account for the majority of intercepted counterfeit shipments. Among these, Youyi Guan (Friendship Pass), facing Huu Nghi in Lang Son province, recorded 184 cases—representing 38% of total seizures. Aidian, opposite Chi Ma in Lang Son, registered 98 cases and the largest volume of seized goods, exceeding 352,000 units. Together, these two Lang Son crossings constitute 58% of all cases.

Dongxing, bordering Mong Cai in Quang Ninh province, accounted for 81 cases but the highest total goods value at RMB 3.2 million (approximately USD 480,000). The other crossings, Shuikou and Longbang in Cao Bang province, contributed an additional 103 cases.

The mode of trade plays a critical role in the counterfeit flow. Most intercepted shipments moved under border trade rules, which permit simplified customs formalities for small cross-border transactions. Counterfeiters exploit these relaxed procedures to facilitate illicit shipments. For example, a February 2025 seizure of 180 counterfeit memory modules at Shuikou involved a local trading company as exporter and a local logistics provider, with border trade formalities applied throughout.

Product categories vary widely. Footwear leads with 338 cases and 124,000 units seized, followed by apparel (263 cases), and bags and leather goods (253 cases). Electronics, while recorded in 118 cases, accounted for nearly 168,000 units, and cosmetics reached 207,000 units across just 68 cases, indicating bulk consignments. Other categories include bearings (88 cases), auto parts, and tools (59 cases), illustrating that the counterfeit trade extends beyond luxury goods to electronics, personal care, and industrial components.

Each border crossing exhibits a distinct product profile. Youyi Guan leads in apparel seizures, Dongxing in bags, Shuikou in footwear and cosmetics, while Longbang is predominantly footwear-focused. This segmentation allows brand owners to identify the most relevant crossings for their product categories.

The brands most frequently seized include well-known global fashion and sportswear labels. More revealing are the mid-tier consumer brands, technology firms, component manufacturers, and personal care companies, many of which may be unaware their products are trafficked across this border. Notably, one consignment contained thousands of branded jewelry boxes, pouches, and authentication cards with minimal finished jewelry, suggesting assembly or repackaging occurs within Vietnam.

While the penalty decisions name Chinese exporters, these entities are typically paper companies established under export agency systems, obscuring the true consignors. Vietnamese importers are not identified. Consequently, the enforcement value lies less in the named parties and more in the patterns of goods, crossings, volumes, and frequency.

Enforcement efforts intensified markedly throughout 2025. Monthly seizure cases approximately doubled from the first half of the year, peaking at 46 cases in September, and remained elevated through December. This trend underscores growing regulatory focus on curbing counterfeit flows along this corridor.

The comprehensive data published by Nanning Customs offers brand owners, enforcement agencies, and policymakers unprecedented insight into the counterfeit trade dynamics between China and Vietnam. By mapping routes, product categories, and enforcement trends, stakeholders can better target interventions to disrupt this illicit supply chain.