Asia-Pacific Foreign Investment Brief
The FDI, Trade, and Economic Development Community

Amazon has responded to a request to add several of its sites to the US Trade Representatives’ ‘notorious markets’ list by pointing to its new anti-counterfeit tools – and a reluctance by some brands to use them. In a letter, Amazon’s vice president of public policy Brian Huseman says the e-commerce giant has invested more than $400m in 2018 alone hiring 5,000-plus employees to police fraudulent and abusive behaviours on its online channels. He also points to Amazon’s Brand Registry programme that allows rights holders to register trademarks, Transparency product serialization service, Project Zero for the automated takedown of suspect listings and a new intellectual property rights (IPR) programme for smaller companies as evidence it is going “well beyond” its legal obligations on the counterfeit issue. The letter was prompted by a renewed request by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) which represents more than 1,000 brands, for Amazon’s sites in India and France to be added to the notorious markets list. Last year the AAFA said Amazon’s Canadian, UK, and German sites should also be included, the first time that it had targeted the retail giant for inclusion in the list. Huseman asserts that despite “demonstrated effectiveness” of Amazon’s tools, some AAFA member brands have refused to use them. He says 13 members of the AAFA’s Brand Protection Council have declined to enrol in Brand Registry, while only 22 brands have enrolled in Project Zero despite 51 being invited, and no AAFA member has adopted Transparency. “We know that customer trust is hard to win and easy to lose, and we view counterfeiting as an existential threat: if customers do not trust what they purchase through Amazon’s stores, they can and will shop elsewhere,” writes Huseman in the letter. He continues: “in 2018, our proactive efforts prevented over 1m suspected bad actors from publishing a single product for sale in our stores, blocked over 3bn suspected bad listings from being published on our stores, and ensured that over 99.9 per cent of products that customers actually viewed in Amazon’s stores never have received a complaint about a suspected counterfeit from a customer or rights owner.” VIEW ARTICLE #gtdwchina #amazon #counterfeits #fightthefakes #fakes #illicittrade #brandprotection #trade #ecommerce #smallparcels #integrity #supplychain #supplychainsecurity

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) would combine market integration with infrastructure development, and industrial development to boost intra-Africa trade and sustainable economic growth. The African Union created the agreement which was signed on by 54 of its 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda on 21 March 2018. The agreement “initially requires members to remove tariffs from 90% of goods, allowing free access to commodities, goods, and services across the continent.” The 54 Member States are expected to eliminate restrictive measures that affect trade in services. This would be done through the reduction and removal of market access barriers. VIEW ARTICLE Virginie TICHA International Federation of Consular Chambers for Africa - F.I.C.A #AfCFTA #FTA #tradefacilitation #globaltrade #marketaccess #crossbordertrade #economicgrwoth #gtdwchina #africa #africatrade #globaltrade #internationaltrade

The OECD Council adopted the Recommendations on Countering Illicit Trade: Enhancing Transparency in #FreeTradeZones. #OECD RECOMMENDS that Members and non-Members having adhered to the Recommendation, promote transparency in order to deter the abuse of FTZ as conduits for illicit trade. OECD RECOMMENDS that Members and non-Members take measures to encourage FTZ to implement the Code of Conduct for Clean Free Trade Zones. Such measures include, but are not limited to the conduct of strict control of consignments arriving from, or for which there is evidence of having transited through, FTZ that do not implement the Code of Conduct for Clean Free Trade Zones. VIEW RECOMMENDATIONS #gtdwchina #oecd #freetradezone #illicittrade #globalfaketrade #fightthefakes #integrity #tradezone #china #trade #globaltrade #internationaltrade #tradematters #fakes #counterfeit #freeports #africa #asia #gameoftrade #freezone

Meet the technologies leading trade efficiencies and secure supply chains at GTDW China, 16-18 June, Shanghai - Final Exhibition spaces now available! Email globaltrade@kwconfex.com to register for exhibition details. View SPEX Prospectus View Event Site #gtdwchina #tradeflows #tradefacilitation #trade #china #supplychain #supplychainsecurity #interoperability #collaboration #blockchain #exhibition #shanghai

Illicit Financial Outflows (IFFs) are a major source of leakage of economic value from African economies. Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) can be traced back to commercial activities such as tax evasion, trade mis-invoicing and abusive transfer pricing. The introduction and implementation of the Digital Tracking and Tracing Solution (DTS) commonly known as the #DigitalTaxStamp will deliver transparency in the outputs of the manufacturing process from industrial production lines and the #tracking and tracing of manufactured products. This #transparency is key in not only curbing #illicittrade in substandard goods, boosting our trade balances by tracing exported products as originating from Uganda but also contributes to accuracy of #taxreceipts from the manufacturing sector through accurate declarations of excise duty from excisable products. To this end therefore, the introduction and implementation of the Digital Tracking and Tracing Solution is also critical in protecting legitimate local manufacturers against the trade in illicit and #counterfeit products. In levelling the playing ground, it greatly facilitates inter and intra national and regional trade of Ugandan products. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) #globaltrade #digitalisation #taxstamps #brandprotection #taxrevenue #gtdwchina #uganda #africa #africatrade #trackandtrace #illicittrade VIEW ARTICLE

The World Trade Organization is partnering with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and World Customs Organization (WCO) in an initiative which will enable firms to take fuller advantages of benefits under free trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements by helping them comply with product rules of origin requirements. Presented to WTO members at a 17 October meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin, the Rules of Origin Facilitator provides firms with free access to a unique searchable database on duty savings in trade agreements, and the corresponding rules of origin. Users can search the tool by product name or product code, and access original documentation, including certificates of origin. Availability of this information will help reduce transaction costs and make it easier for firms to claim reduced or zero duty rates under free trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements.  The information will be of particular benefit to small and medium-size firms by allowing them to access the information through an easy-to-navigate system. Rules of origin are the criteria used to define where a product was made and are important for implementing other trade policy measures, including preferences in favour of developing countries or least developed countries (LDCs). In a video message, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said companies must understand and use dozens of different types of rules of origin to use the tariff preferences now in force in hundreds of bilateral and regional trade agreements. Each preferential agreement has its own specific obligations regarding the certification and transportation of goods. “Governments and companies need reliable information about rules of origin,” DG Azevêdo said.  “And this information needs to be accessible for free, in simple, standardized language. “The Facilitator fills a real gap,” he added.  “We believe this tool will prove especially useful for smaller companies in developing and least developed countries. These are the companies that have greatest trouble navigating international trade requirements” WTO Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun told members that the initiative, launched by the ITC and WCO in 2018, “fits perfectly” with the objectives of the committee. “It offers greater transparency and predictability,” DDG Yi noted. “It complements our recent Trade Facilitation Agreement. It supports the integration of least developed countries to the global economy. And it reduces time and costs for small and medium enterprises in all WTO Members.” ITC Deputy Executive Director Dorothy Tembo said: ‘I am very pleased to welcome the WTO to this Rules of Origin partnership. With the WTO on board we will be able to make this invaluable digital tool available to more enterprises in developing countries and ensure greater transparency in trade.’ The Rules of Origin Facilitator is the most comprehensive tool of its kind available, covering product-specific rules of origin as well as provisions on origin certification in more than 300 agreements and applied by more than 190 countries. The goal is to expand coverage to include not only all preferential schemes currently in force worldwide, but also to cover non-preferential rules of origin requirements. Accessing information on rules of origin in trade agreements has been a struggle for firms, particularly smaller ones.  According to an ITC business survey covering 60 countries, rules of origin were identified as the most common source of trade constraints by micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs). The Rules of Origin Facilitator has benefitted from WTO notifications regarding preference-granting members. Twenty-two WTO members with tariff preferences for LDCs have notified their programmes to the WTO.  The detailed origin requirements and notifications can be found in the WTO's Preferential Trade Arrangements Database. Better utilization of tariff preferences by LDCs has been a focus of work within the Committee.  WTO members continued to review the use and application of preferential rules of origin programmes in line with the  Nairobi Decision on Preferential Rules of Origin for LDCs.  The Decision calls on developed country members, and developing country members in a position to do so, to ensure that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from LDCs are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access. #trade #tradefacilitation #internationaltrade #globaltrade #gtdwchina #rulesoforigin #tariffs #customs #compliance #wto #worldtradeorganisation

The 19th Global Trade Development Week takes place from 16-18 June in Shanghai, China.  Jointly organised with APMEN Shanghai in English & Mandarin includes 2 Co-located programs + Technologies Exhibition: GTDW Technology for Trade Facilitation, Compliance & Digitalisation Conference GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference GTDW Technologies & Innovation Exhibition (Limited Spaces!) (LIMITED!) FREE program is open to: Customs & Tax Authorities Ministries of Trade/Economy/Finance Trade Facilitation Committees IPR Agencies Police & Judiciary Heads Brand Protection & IPR Heads Customs & Compliance *PROGRAM: https://lnkd.in/fSaUREW *SPEX PROSPECTUS: https://lnkd.in/fzg9fn6 *EMAIL: globaltrade@kwconfex.com #gtdwchina #tradefacilitation #tradetechnologies #tradefacilitation #supplychain #supplychainsecurity #digitalisation #logistics #blockchain #tradeflows #china #trade #internationaltrade #globaltrade #risk #compliance #digital #antiillicittrade #brandprotection #globaltradeidentity #collaboration #government

GTDW China Exhibition features the latest technologies for customs & compliance, secure supply chain, digitalisation & interoperability - Another reason to join us in Shanghai 16-18 June - spaces are limited! FREE to attend for: Customs & Tax Authorities, Ministries of Trade/Economy/Finance, IP, Police & Judiciary Authorities, Heads of Brand Protection, Heads of Trade & Customs Compliance - Email: globaltrade@kwconfex.com Exhibition spaces limited basis from $5500 3x3 sqm + 5 delegate passes – PM us for details! SPEX PROSPECTUS PROGRAM #gtdwchina #digitalisation #securesupplychain #supplychain #technologies #compliance #tradecompliance #tradetechnologies #interoperability #customs

With nearly three years of rapid growth, experience and actions on multiple fronts, the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance has evolved into a full-fledged “IP-protection ecosystem,” Alibaba Senior Vice President Michael Yao said Thursday. Addressing AACA members at a semiannual conference in Shenzhen, Yao noted the group’s ranks have swelled to 155 members from the 30 who founded it, and should reach 200 by mid-2020. The AACA’s rights-holder members, who hail from 17 countries, see over 450 of their brands protected through collaboration with Alibaba through the alliance. That protection includes everything from reactive takedowns to proactive monitoring, utilizing artificial intelligence-powered algorithms and other more-sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technology, and offline leads investigated by law-enforcement groups, who sent over 40 police officers to attend the AACA conference. “To be responsible for such a large number of brands is a significant milestone for the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance, and it speaks volumes about the confidence the members have placed in Alibaba, and each other, to make this alliance and partnership work,” said Yao, who heads the group’s intellectual-property-protection efforts with brands. “I’m proud, not only of the growth in our member and brand numbers, but also the engagement of all stakeholders and the topics we’re now discussing. We are making a difference and achieving real results, such as in offline enforcement. We have made significant progress, and there is much more to come,” said Yao. Looking specifically at the alliance’s success in offline investigations, between January and September, AACA members’ cooperation with Chinese law enforcement resulted in the closure of 492 counterfeit manufacturing rings and the arrest of 687 criminal suspects. The total value of these cases was estimated at RMB 1.24 billion ($175.2 million). Strong, tangible progress in IP protection has been coupled with the roll out of complementary business innovations inside Alibaba’s own digital economy, the company said. They include upgraded Tmall flagship stores, with more customization options so that brands can be more-creative and deepen customer engagement. “IP protection is the foundation of creativity and business development,” Alibaba Chief Platform Governance Officer Jessie Zheng told AACA members. Brands, themselves, say they have felt the effects of ever-stronger IP protection efforts through the AACA. Robin Smith, the China and Asia Pacific vice president and general counsel for Lego, said the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance has become an important platform for fostering collaboration among brand owners, Alibaba and IP-enforcement authorities. “As a member of AACA, we are grateful for the level of support we’ve received from Alibaba, especially in our actions against illegal copycat products in China and globally,” Smith said. “We look forward to continuous and more in-depth cooperation and we are in full support of Alibaba’s good efforts in this critical area of IP protection.” The AACA hasn’t just grown in sheer numbers since its founding. It has also become extremely diverse, Alibaba emphasized at the conference. AACA members last year were divided into 12 industry working groups to allow for better information-sharing within their sector. Growth in sectors has taken off since then, the company said. The pharmaceuticals working group, for example, jumped to 11 members from two at last autumn’s conference, while the industrial and automotive IWG increased to 19 from 13 six months ago. And in terms of geographic representation, Europe overtook North America as the largest region represented in the AACA, with 34% of members versus 31%, respectively. The U.S. and China remained the largest two countries by number of members, with 48 and 34, respectively. In the coming six months, Alibaba will roll out an “AACA User Center,” an online portal where members can interact with Alibaba’s IP-protection teams. In addition to serving as a platform for exchanging information, the User Center will host a dashboard to track member activity and contributions to the AACA, online training materials and a booking function for AACA-related meetings. The AACA conference was held just days after Alibaba was recognized for its own IP-enforcement work at the World Trademark Review Conference in London. The award, which was presented by the City of London Police, highlighted Alibaba’s leadership in brand protection and its “significant contributions and valued partnership in offline criminal investigations.” It was the third award that Alibaba has been given this year for its brand-protection efforts. In Boston in May, Alibaba was awarded World Trademark Review’s Asia Pacific Team of the Year for its work in brand protection. The company won the “Luxury Law Innovator in IP Rights and Technology” award at the Luxury Law Summit in London last April. VIEW ARTICLE

We are delighted to welcome back Louisa Xu from Treasury Wine Estates who will join us for the second time at #GTDWChina Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference & Exhibition on the 16 - 18 June 2020 in Shanghai. As the IP manager (North Asia) in Treasury Wine Estates, Louisa manages IP portfolio, and provides IP and risk mitigation advisory services to this region, while crafting and executing a robust and comprehensive brand protection strategy. In addition, Louisa also develops close relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including local authorities, government bodies, key online marketplaces and industrial organisations, while also working as the Vice Chair of Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee in QBPC to coordinate with various government units, including The Office of the National Leading Group on fighting against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting. *PROGRAM *SPEX PROSPECTUS - Limited Exhibition Spaces Now Available! #brandprotection #anticounterfeiting #counterfeit #ip #IPR #taxstamps #tradefacilitation #illicittrade #customs #intellectualproperty #criminalinvestigation #IPinvestigation #patent #trademark #copyright #counterfeiting #authentication #trackandtrace #taxstamps #serialization #productsecurity #traceability #brandprotection #onlinebrandprotection #securityprinting #china #customs #shanghai

BLOCKCHAIN | The industry wants trust and transparency in supply chains. That is the simple conclusion as ocean carriers representing almost two thirds of global container freight are set to join the digital platform, TradeLens – a potential game changer in the digitisation of global trade. By Jesper Toft Madsen Imagine a digital process where documents for customs clearance flow seamlessly between the involved parties at import and export. They are visible to everyone with guaranteed immutability, privacy and auditability of all the information. This was the goal of a recent pilot shipment with Saudi Customs. The pilot demonstrated how blockchain technology through improved trust and transparency in handling data delivered efficiencies that saved their clients valuable time and money. “Global trade is incredibly complex. With TradeLens, we want to create an unprecedented level of transparency that enables supply chain players to respond almost instantly to unpredicted changes and at the same time facilitate industry-wide innovation,” explains Lars Kastrup, Head of Sales for TradeLens at Maersk. The blockchain-powered digital shipping platform was launched together with IBM in 2018 to help modernise global supply chains. Many of the processes for transporting and trading goods are costly, in part, due to manual and paper-based systems. Replacing these peer-to-peer and often unreliable information exchanges, the platform enables participants to digitally connect, share information in near real time and collaborate across the supply chain within a secured space. Covering the whole ecosystem From the beginning, global industry players have shown an interest in the platform, from port authorities and terminal operators to customs brokers and inland service providers. However, it is not until this year that TradeLens has gained much needed commitments from major ocean carriers. “We have explained how data security and structure works in the platform business model and this helped convince them,” shares Kastrup. In May, the first major shipping lines CMA CGM and MSC announced that they would join the platform. More recently, Hapaq-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express followed suit. As a result, data from close to two thirds of global container volumes are committed to the platform. “The rapid adoption this year reflects genuine buy-in to the platform from large chunks of the ecosystem. It also validates the value of TradeLens as an open and neutral platform that creates trust, transparency and collaboration,” says Kastrup. With the recent additions, five out of the world’s six largest shipping companies look set to join the platform. This momentum will help drive further adoption around the world as customers will have access to information from major carriers in all three leading, global vessel-sharing alliances. The potential of paperless trade One of the biggest supply chain challenges is that systems and processes have not been able to keep track with therapidly growing complexity of global trade. With the current momentum, TradeLens has the potential to digitise supply chains and drive the industry towards paperless trade. For Maersk, this means that the platform can become a driver in the digital transformation and help fulfill its ambition of offering end-to-end transport and logistics solutions. “We have a golden opportunity to digitise and standardise processes across the industry. The blockchain technology is there and if we succeed, it will lead to huge cost savings that will benefit not only supply chain actors like Maersk, but also customers and consumers worldwide,”adds Kastrup. Over time, TradeLens could generate a variety of new revenue streams as more services are developed and added onto the platform to cover customers’ end-to-end needs. This also serves as a potential boost to the growth of non-ocean logistics products and services as the platform expandsits end-to-end visibility. Based off positive pilots with customs in Saudi Arabia and also Canada, the TradeLens team is turning its attention towards attracting more government authorities and engaging in partnerships with customs authorities to work towards removing friction in global trade. We have a golden opportunity to digitise and standardise processes across the industry. The blockchain technology is there and if we succeed, it will lead to huge cost savings that will benefit not only supply chain actors like Maersk, but also customers and consumers worldwide  Lars Kastrup, Head of Sales for TradeLens at Maersk. Article by Maersk #gtdwchina #tradelens #paperlesstrade #blockchain #trade #internationaltrade #globaltrade #gameoftrade #interoperability #supplychain

Welcome outstanding speakers & exhibitors including major brand owners & trade facilitation heads including: Alan Bersin, Former Commissioner, U.S. Customs Roman Quaedvlieg, Former Commissioner, Australian Border Force; Former CEO, Australian Customs & Border Protection; Former Chief Police Officer, Australian Federal Police CONFIRMED SPEAKERS: · Alan Bersin, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School; Executive Chairman, Altana Trade & Technology; Former Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security · Andrew Keable, CEO, KW Group; Chairman, GTDW Advisory Council · Christoph Stegemann, Director Sales & Business Development, Asia Pacific, Tesa Screbos · Cindy Wang, Director, Trade Compliance, Honeywell · Douglas McKay, VAT & Customs Director Asia Pacific, Lear Corporation · Ethan Xu, Director, International Trade Compliance, Otis Elevator Co. · Glyn Hughes, Global Head of Cargo, International Air Transport Association (IATA); Advisory Council Member of GTDW · Günther Marten, Minister Counsellor, European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), Delegation of the European Union · Huang Feng, Director General, Shanghai Asia-Pacific Model E-port Network Operational Center (SAOC); Advisory Council Member of GTDW · Dr Jan Hoffmann, Chief, Trade Logistics Branch, DTL, United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD); Advisory Council Member of GTDW · Dr Lars Karlsson, CEO & MD, KGH Global Consulting; Former Director WCO and Swedish Customs; Advisory Council Member of GTDW; Advisory Board Member of INCU; Chairman of the IBMATA Advisory Board · Lisa McAuley, Chief Executive Officer, Global Trade Professionals Alliance (GTPA) · Louisa Xu, IP Manager, Treasury Wine Estates · Michael Yu, North Asia Brand Protection Head, Unilever · Miller Wang, Brand Protection Director & Legal Counsel, MCM APAC · Dr. Mohammad Saeed, Senior Trade Facilitation Adviser, International Trade Centre (ITC); Advisory Council Member of GTDW · Ray Xu, Vice President, Legal, Pernod Ricard · Richard Morton, Secretary General, International Port Community System Association (IPCSA); Advisory Council Member of GTDW · Roman Quaedvlieg, Principal Consultant, RAQ Consulting; Former Commissioner, Australian Border Force; Former CEO, Australian Customs & Border Protection; Former Chief Police Officer, Australian Federal Police · Prof. Samuel C. Bautista, Chief Learning Officer, Academy of Developmental Logistics & Member, Management Committee, International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) · Stephen Dunn, Regional Director Of Investigations, Asia Pacific, Sanofi · Thomas Bagge, CEO & Statutory Director, Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) · Virginie Ticha, President, International Federation of Consular Chambers for Africa (F.I.C.A.) REGISTER: globaltrade@kwconfex.com PROGRAM SPEX PROSPECTUS FREE GTDW China Government Program (Limited Seats Remain!) – The capacity building program is open to: Customs & Tax Authorities Ministries of Trade/Economy/Finance Trade Facilitation Committees IPR Agencies Police & Judiciary Brand Protection & IPR Heads Customs & Compliance Heads Have You Registered? The 19th GTDW China includes 2 Co-Located International Conferences & Trade Technologies exhibition: 1. GTDW Technology for Trade Facilitation, Customs & Compliance Conference 2. GTDW Anti Illicit Trade, Brand & IPR Protection Conference 3. Trade Technologies Exhibition & Showcase (Limited Spaces) GTDW China, 16-18 June 2020, Shanghai Pudong, China Co-hosted with APMEN Shanghai in English & Mandarin www.kwglobaltrade.com #gtdwchina #tradefacilitation #tradetechnology #digitalisation #modernization #customs #compliance #tax #brandprotection #illicittrade #supplychain #secureborders #intellectualproperty