Vietnam Sharpens Pharmaceutical Counterfeit Enforcement as USTR Pressure Mounts

Vietnam’s pharmaceutical and healthcare enforcement landscape is under heavy international scrutiny following the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) 2026 Special 301 Report, released on 30 April 2026, which raised Vietnam to a Priority Foreign Country, the first use of that category in thirteen years, threatening trade sanctions. This put sudden pressure on Vietnam over persistent concerns around trade mark infringement, online piracy and the sale of counterfeit goods, including products affecting health and safety.