Vietnam to auction 200 unclaimed containers from China

Individuals and businesses have expressed interest in buying them, but customs authorities are determined to publicly auction them, customs chief Nguyen Van Can said at a recent meeting.

In September, authorities had seized the containers at the Kim Thanh International Border Gate in Lao Cai Province and found items such as clothes tagged with ‘Made in Vietnam’ labels and knockoffs of popular brands like Gucci and Adidas.

There were also used electronic items such as amplifiers, speakers and air conditioners, whose imports are prohibited.

Cosmetics, chicken feet, cookies, and traditional Chinese medicines, products that need to meet certain conditions to enter Vietnam, were also found.

China was Vietnam’s largest exporter in the first 11 months with shipments of $73.9 billion, up nearly 8 percent year-on-year.