WCO Warns of Increase in Counterfeit Medical Supplies, Launches IPR Sharing Platform for Customs Regimes
There's been a recent uptick in international enforcement activity involving counterfeit medical goods, the World Customs Organization said in a notice. “ While the world is gripped by the fight against COVID-19, criminals have turned this into an opportunity for fraudulent activity,” the WCO said. “There have been an alarming number of reports quoting seizures of counterfeit critical medical supplies, such as face masks and hand sanitizers in particular. Customs and law enforcement agencies in China, Germany, Indonesia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam, to name but a few, have reported such seizures in the past three weeks.” There's also been a recent trend of export licensing requirements for “certain categories of critical medical supplies, such as face masks, gloves and protective gear,” the WCO said.
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The international organization said it also started a new online platform to share intellectual property rights information on medical supplies and fake medicines. The group will “globally enhance real-time intelligence sharing on fake medical supplies and medicines and enable Customs worldwide to fight illicit trade,” WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said in a news release. “Organized criminal groups will not be the winner in this challenge.” The WCO said the web-based communication system “will allow a closed user group of Customs officers to exchange intelligence information, messages and alerts via secure channels.”