Global shipping companies fight counterfeit goods
For the first time in history, brand owners, transport service providers and ship owners vowed to wage war against counterfeit goods on shipping vessels, Maersk Line said in its press release.
On 30 November, the 'Declaration of Intent to prevent the maritime transport of counterfeit goods' was signed by global shipping companies, transport industry service providers, brand owners and industry associations.
The signatories will adopt zero-tolerance policy on counterfeiting by informing all customers and sub-contractors of these commitment. Due diligence measures such as Know Your Customer process will be applied and appropriate conditions prohibiting the carriage of counterfeit products.
“We, the signatories to this declaration, acknowledge the destructive impact of the international trade in counterfeiting on economic growth, employment, security and the health and safety of consumers. We condemn the fact that counterfeiters employ subterfuge to access and exploit the global logistics supply chain which damages our businesses and compromises our reputations,” reads the three-page declaration.
Aside from Maersk Line, other shipping companies include Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA-CGM. Kuehne + Nagel and Expeditors were also among the initial signatories that include leading brands Chanel, Lacoste, Richemont, Bayer, P&G, Pfizer, Dupont, Unilever,and CropLife. Industry associations such as Fédération Internationale des Associations de Transitaires et Assimilés (English: International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations), Project Management Institute. International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Commercial Crime Services, its crime-fighting arm, and Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) completes the lineup of signatories.
“We are proud to be among the first in our industry to sign this historic declaration,” says Maersk Line Head of Customs and Trade Compliance Michael Jul Hansen in a statement issued by ICC.
“Maersk has been a leader in taking steps to prevent the use of our vessels for the shipment of counterfeit and other illicit goods, and this declaration is a reaffirmation of our intent to do everything we can to ensure our ships are counterfeit free.”
Under the declaration, the signatories will “apply specific vigilance measures and common early warning indicators to identify high-risk shipments of counterfeits.” Staff will be trained for them to report suspected counterfeit activity.
In 2015, the BASCAP initiative released a study that “exposes a number of shortcomings in the global network of infrastructures and services that produce, sell and deliver products to customers worldwide, and calls on responsible intermediaries to enhance their systems to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods and pirated content.”
