Chinese exporters bid to dodge tariffs with fake Made-in-Vietnam labels

© Oksana Pecherskih

It will surprise no one, but Chinese exporters are resorting to fake product-origin certificates and illegal transfers in a bid to avoid US tariffs on their goods. Vietnam has found false certificates on a range of products, from agriculture to textiles and steel, according to Bloomberg. The country has promised to increase penalties for trade-related fraud, which includes re-routing goods through other countries. And Vietnam fears it too could come under Trump’s scrutiny for allowing Chinese products to arrive in the US tariff-free after seeing a surge in exports to the US. But it remains unclear what is related to shifting supply chains and what is actually just mislabelled Chinese goods.