Fake goods seized in US-China operation
Print Edition
The United States and China have joined forces in a combined operation to crack down on counterfeit goods, seizing more than 243,000 fake electronics products, including copies of popular consumer items made by Apple, Samsung, Dr Dre and Blackberry.
US Customs and Border Protection said the monthlong operation was the biggest bilateral Customs enforcement effort conducted by the United States. It focused on seizures of goods in ports as they were exported from China or imported into the US.
While the operation resulted in only one arrest, US officials said they see it as a sign that China is acting on their complaints of theft of intellectual property.
The two countries agreed in recent talks that they would work together to try to stem the flow of fake goods between China and the US.
“The theft of intellectual property is a global problem and cross-border efforts are needed to fight it,” said Thomas Winkowski, acting commissioner of the US Customs and Border Protection.
“Robust enforcement of intellectual property rights allows innovators and creators — whether in a small start-up or an international corporation — to profit from their efforts and gives consumers confidence in the reputations of the products they buy.”
Theft of intellectual property rights costs US businesses US$320 billion a year, equivalent to the annual value of US exports to Asia, according to a report by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property.
China’s deputy Customs chief Zou Zhiwu said both countries need to work together to effectively curb the movement of counterfeit products. “IPR infringement is a global issue involving not only the process of production and export, but also that of import and circulation,” he said.
The operation took place at ports in the US and China. The main US ports involved were Anchorage, Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Newark. In China, the primary ports were Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Chinese and American Customs officials did not work together physically, but acted on shared information and tips.
The single arrest was that of an American citizen who imported counterfeit Dr Dre headphones and sold them on Craigslist. He was arrested in the New Orleans area.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
