Counter-Counterfeit & Illicit Trade Forum
EuroCham hosted its first Counter-Counterfeit & Illicit Trade Forum on Tuesday, 21st February, bringing together public and private stakeholders to discuss methods for tackling the issue together. Here are five main takeaways from the event:
1. EuroCham and the CCF signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two sides cooperate even further over the coming years to combat counterfeit trade. Among other points, the MoU sets the stage for collaboration on regulation and policies to further ensure a fair playing field for businesses in the Kingdom.
2. H.E. Phan Oun, the Director General of the CCF, said his organization would soon embark on a nationwide tour to spread information about counterfeit products and the laws on consumer protection. During 2022, the CCF ramped up its efforts to combat counterfeit trade, seizing almost 28 tons of counterfeit bevergaes and almost 12 tons of counterfeit tobacco products.
3. The illicit alcohol trade is becoming more sophisticated in the region, with counterfeit components such as bottles, caps, and labels being manufactured in China and shipped throughout the region and the globe. To combat this, brands are employing different techniques, from digital label systems using QR codes to block-chain based authenticators.
4. Fake cigarettes are perhaps one of the most visible counterfeit products available in Cambodia. As Philip Morris International Head of Illicit Trade Prevention Rodney Van Dooren said, it's easy to tell which ones are fake: the packets without the graphic warnings (for PMI products Malboro and L&M). Van Dooren said easing regulations on e-cigarettes in the Kingdom would allos the government to collect more tax revenue and allow PMI to enter the market in line with achieving their goal of switching all smokers to e-cigarettes.
5. Counterfeit products in the healthcare industry are rampant and can have serious -- somtimes fatal -- consequences. As reported by Elaine Khoo, head of Digital Acceleeraton at Zuellig Pharma said at the forum, counterfeit drugs cause more than one million deaths worldwide annually. In Cambodia, countefeit drugs often wind up on local pharmacies' shelves and can be hard to discern from the authentic product.
This is an ongoing issue that EuroCham is working with the CCF on and we will keep you updated!
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