Representatives from major global brands, maritime companies and US law enforcement agencies met, as part of the on-going collaboration of signatories to the ‘Declaration of Intent to stop the Maritime transport of counterfeits’(DOI), in Washington DC, to determine how collaborate to stop the maritime transportation of counterfeit goods.
Specifically, Sophie Peresson, Director of the ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy initiative (BASCAP) attended the gathering commenting that the partners have already achieved a lot developing best practices aimed at helping companies prevent the maritime shipment of counterfeits and which fit into companies’ supply chain procedures. Working with law enforcement will bring this work to another dimension.
Additionally, Steven McLoughlin, representing Philip Morris International and co-chair of the DOI signatories on the brand-owners side stated
Public private partnerships are key to successfully fight illicit trade globally and this event has allowed meaningful discussions with US law enforcement on joint operations and strategies for maritime operators, brand owners and the authorities to work together, including on effective risk profiling.
In the meantime, ICC highlights that by adding their signature to the DOI, FONASBA will include a new level of the supply chain to the work being done by the signatory group to prevent criminals from exploiting the maritime supply chain to transport counterfeits.
In line with ICC’s vision to enable business to secure peace, prosperity and opportunity for all, BASCAP aims to raise awareness of the economic and social harm of counterfeiting and piracy which in 2017 rose to 3.3% of global trade despite a relative slowdown in overall global trade.