Definition

Noun: - Contraband goods: Items that are imported, exported, or sold illegally, typically to avoid taxes, duties, or legal restrictions. This includes smuggled goods, counterfeit products, or items that violate intellectual property or safety regulations.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cảnh sát thu giữ một lượng lớn hàng lậu tại cảng. (The police seized a large quantity of contraband goods at the port.)
  • Mua hàng lậu có thể bị phạt rất nặng. (Buying contraband goods can result in severe penalties.)
  • Cửa hàng đó bị đóng cửa vì buôn bán hàng lậu. (That store was shut down for trading in contraband.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in economic and legal contexts to discuss issues of smuggling, tax evasion, and market regulation.
• It can imply not just the goods themselves but also the illicit trade network.

Variants and Related Words

• Buôn lậu (v): to smuggle.

  • Bọn tội phạm buôn lậu qua biên giới. (The criminals smuggle across the border.)

• Hàng giả (n): counterfeit or fake goods. While related, "hàng giả" specifically emphasizes falsification, whereas "hàng lậu" emphasizes illegal movement/evasion.

  • Hàng giả có thể gây nguy hiểm cho sức khỏe. (Counterfeit goods can be dangerous to health.)

Synonyms

• Smuggled goods: Goods moved illegally across borders.
• Illicit goods: Goods obtained or traded in an illegal manner.
• Black-market goods: Goods sold in illegal, unregulated markets.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Buôn thần bán thánh: (Literally: to trade in gods and sell saints) An idiom for engaging in unscrupulous or illicit business, which can include dealing in contraband.
  • Hắn ta chuyên buôn thần bán thánh, từ hàng lậu đến đồ cổ. (He specializes in all sorts of shady deals, from contraband to antiquities.)

noun

1. contraband goods