As India emerges from a public health crisis, the serious issues of illegal products need to be addressed on a war footing. COVID-19-induced mobility restrictions gave an impetus to illicit trade of essentials and non-essential items. As a result, the alcohol and tobacco trade invariably hung in an uncomfortable situation. According to a market research report by Euromonitor research and TII (2019), India has become the fourth-largest and fastest-growing illegal cigarette cap

The country’s pandemic policy offers a case study in the effects of prohibition As the taverns and drinking spots filled up with revellers in Xhora Mouth, deep in South Africa’s rural Eastern Cape, Lynne Wilkinson worried that the crowds celebrating Christmas would bring a new wave of coronavirus infection to an isolated region with few hospitals and clinics. Bulungula Incubator, a charity where Wilkinson is acting director, had worked with villagers to manage the risk of big

The government will soon require cigarette manufacturers planning to set up shop in the country’s special economic zones (SEZs) to register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) before they can be allowed to operate, in line with the Duterte administration’s sustained drive against tax evasion and the illicit tobacco trade. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the alleged illicit activities in SEZs of certain locators registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Au

With only a limited number of product inspections carried out inside free zones, many customs administrations now require that tobacco products carry a special declaration with detailed information that would enable joint investigations, effective risk management and electronic recordkeeping, as highlighted in a report published by the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). The report, Examples of current practices on the implementation of

South Africa may have banned cigarettes and alcohol during its lockdown but, for some, the good times kept rolling. While the rules were meant to help manage the health impact of the coronavirus pandemic — reducing alcohol-related trauma cases and cutting pressure on hospitals — they’ve allowed illegal traders to gain a foothold in the market. Tobacco and alcohol products remained readily available through the black market from when the ban first kicked in with the shutdown f

RETAIL and Trade Brand Advocacy (RTBA) said the travel restrictions, movement control order (MCO) and tighter scrutiny by enforcement agencies at border checkpoints and expressways have done nothing to disrupt the illicit trade supply chain in Malaysia. “Recent feedback from industries and enforcement agencies indicated that instances of illicit trade in Malaysia remain high as syndicates and perpetrators utilise innovative ways to circumvent the more intense spotlight cast b

议程 http://bit.ly/3ccm7xJ 全球贸易发展周-中国论坛 | 2020年6月16日至18日 | 中国上海 第19届全球贸易发展周（GTDW）即将于上海举办，全球贸易发展周-中国论坛旨在为全球贸易领域从业者提供一个分享和交流的平台。本次论坛将通过以下方式探索全球贸易未来发展趋势，并且有效打击非法贸易： • 共享跨界优质资源 • 探讨商机对接合作 • 发掘新兴贸易科技 • 共商贸易未来倡议 • 举办各类闭门会议 2020年全球贸易发展周-中国论坛 两大分论坛议题： 1. 全球贸易便利化、合规化与数字化 2. 反非法贸易，品牌与知识产权保护 赞助商和参展商包括 技术/解决方案/创新/服务：品牌保护、防伪、知识产权保护、防伪印刷、标签和包装、射频识别（RFID）、溯源认证跟踪、在线品牌保护、调查与执法等 全球贸易发展周中国论坛诚邀海关和税务机关、贸易/经济/财政部、知识产权局、司法机关等政府部门代表，及品牌保护、贸易与海关合规领域的负责人免费出席。 本届活动的演讲者、赞助商和参展商可以邀请符合要求的代表作为活动嘉宾。 网站：www.kw

4th GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference & Exhibition, 16-18 June, Shanghai Pudong | 4th 反非法贸易，品牌和知识产权保护会议 | 全球贸易发展周-中国论坛 | 2020年6月16日至18 Delegate Seats Increase From $1995 to $2295 March 1st - Email globaltrade@kwconfex.com or complete the registration page: http://bit.ly/37mxOOI In partnership with Quality Brands Protection Committee, China (QBPC) Join brand protection, ipr, customs, police, judiciary & technology come together to discuss critical secu

Interesting article that gives some perspectives on one of the worlds largest areas for illicit trade. The lack of Track & Trace Systems shows that there are huge opportunities in the region to collaborate between technologies and major stakeholders to limit the effects of counterfeits, fakes and associated crime and illicit financial flows. In partnership with Quality Brands Protection Committee, China (QBPC) We look forward to covering much of this topic at The 4th GTDW Ant

Hong Kong customs has uncovered HK$85 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in the largest seizure of its kind in two decades, after authorities acted on intelligence indicating a syndicate was shipping the haul into the city in four containers. Some 31 million cigarettes were stashed in the containers from Yokohama in Japan. They were then shipped through different ports in South Korea, Vietnam and mainland China, according to Lee Hoi-man, deputy head of the Revenue and Gener

Delighted to welcome Michael Yu, North Asia Brand Protection Head, UNILEVER, Min Gao, GCA Managing Attorney, 3M, Ray Xu, Vice President Legal, PERNOD RICARD, and Roman Quaedvlieg, Former Commissioner, AUSTRALIAN BORDER FORCE as part of the leaders discussion: ‘Fostering productive collaboration among all stakeholders – government agencies, IP rights holders, law enforcement, industry associations, free zones, online marketplaces & international organizations to help remove da

The body reports that 32 manufacturers and importers who are domestic and exporters have already registered their factory lines in compliance with the Digital tax stamps. According to the tax body, large scale manufacturers including Crown Beverages, the manufacturers of Pepsi and other beverages, Mukwano industries and Riham Industries are some of those that have heeded to the call for the implementation of the Digital Stamp System. “We are continuing with the registration o

The illicit trade in tobacco, especially cigarettes, costs South Africa’s economy billions of rand annually through lost tax revenue. According to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the estimated loss through the illegal cigarette trade for the 2015/16 financial year was R6 billion. Aside from the local economic and health impact, illicit smuggling poses a threat across the Southern African region. Tackling the problem will improve regional economic outlooks and crippl

Customs has intercepted 126 million counterfeit cigarettes since the beginning of the year, a record seizure, said the FPS Finance on Friday. These cigarettes, whose final destination is unknown, came from Southeast Asia and represent an amount of 65 million euros in import duties, excise duties and VAT evaded. Eight people have been arrested and are being questioned. On January 9, customs seized 10 million cigarettes from a warehouse in Stabroek, in the province of Antwerp.

The Tobacco Institute of Southern Africa estimates that the SA fiscus is losing more than R10bn annually on unpaid excise duty The capability of Sars to deal with the illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco is improving but is not where it should be, officials of the tax authority told MPs on Tuesday. The state loses billions in tax revenue each year due to the illicit trade in cigarettes and tobacco products. The ability of Sars to collect the tax payable was, along with its

The 2nd GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference & Exhibition took place in Abu Dhabi this time last year, Nov 2018. We wanted to say a big thank you to our partners, speakers and exhibitors. Keynote Speaker: Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General, United Nations Conference On Trade & Development (UNCTAD) Keynote Speaker: H.E. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy, UAE Keynote Speaker: Tarkan Demirbas, Vice President, Philip Morris International Ke

Fighting The Forgeries - A fascinating film by France 24 covering some of the key topics being covered at the 4th GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference, 16-18 June, Shanghai. Last year, more than five million counterfeit goods were seized by the authorities in France. Theft of intellectual property isn’t just a French problem. But after US products, French goods are the most faked products in the world. Among the things most typically copied are luxury pr

Six million cigarettes and enough tobacco to produce 21 million cigarettes found in an illegal factory in Budapest. Hungarian customs officers arrested 20 factory employees and the ringleaders behind the operation. The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration (NTCA, Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal) have uncovered an illegal tobacco factory and identified the members of the criminal group behind the operation. The cigarette factory operated in a large rented warehouse in B

Pakistan has awarded its tender for a tobacco track-and-trace (T&T) system to National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), but the decision has come in for immediate criticism. NRTC won a competitive tender run by Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for the traceability system, which is due to come into effect by the end of next March. It proffered the cheapest solution at Rs 731 per 1,000 tax stamps, although a typo in its application which set the price at R

GTDW China Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Exhibition, part of the 19th Global Trade Development Week returning to Shanghai, 16-18 June - 80% of the exhibition is now sold for the 2020 Edition - Have you booked? Beware of Fakes! Final Exhibition Stands Available from $5500USD 3x3 SQM + 5 Delegate Passes VIEW SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION PROSPECTUS Email globaltrade@kwconfex.com for floor plan GTDW China FREE VIP Program (Limited Final Delegation Places!) · Customs & Ta