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Counterfeit goods persist despite govt curbs, renewed US complaints
Mangga Dua market has been thrust into spotlight yet again as a barrier to trade in the USTR's 2025 National Trade Estimate Report, which has singled out the North Jakarta market as a bustling hub of counterfeit goods.
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Knockoff designer bags are displayed in shop stalls at ITC Mangga Dua in North Jakarta showcasing knockoff on April 22, 2025 (TJP/Ni Made Tasyarani)
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ampant intellectual property (IP) infringements continue to persist, particularly in the trade of counterfeit products, despite repeated attempts to curb the practice through government measures as well as pressure from foreign countries, especially the United States.
That is the reality on the ground, at least according to some merchants at Mangga Dua Morning Market in Ancol, North Jakarta, which has long attracted shoppers and bargain hunters in search of affordable luxury apparel and accessories such as handbags, wallets, toys and leather goods, never mind that many are knockoffs.
At one stall with two employees, the shelves were stacked with knockoff luxury goods, from counterfeit Coach bags to Louis Vuitton wallets.
Counterfeit goods of high-end brands cost more than Rp 1 million (US$59.26) on average, with the cheapest item priced at Rp 350,000, the employees said on Tuesday as they engaged in haggling with shoppers looking for better deals.
Aristo, who has been selling wares at the market for over a decade, offers knockoffs of mid-range labels in his compact retail space, which is filled with a variety of counterfeit bags and backpacks for around Rp 150,000 a pop.
He told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the market’s merchants were divided into tiers: so-called premium sellers offered genuine luxury brands with price tags reaching several million rupiah, while low- to mid-level sellers offered knockoffs for an upper price range of Rp 500,000.
Government raids were a regular occurrence at the market, Aristo said, especially those targeting “premium sellers”.
