[By Cheng Chi-Fang/Taipei] The Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance stated that a total of 326 cases of infringement of intellectual property rights were seized at the border last year, of which 323 cases, or 99.08%, were imported, with more than 87,000 pieces of counterfeit goods seized and the market value of the infringement exceeding NT$690 million, including more than 30,000 pieces of 3C Apple wireless earphones, more than 20,000 pieces of cosmetics, about 11,500 pieces of clothing such as NIKE and Hermès, and nearly 9,500 pieces of medicines such as the aphrodisiac Cialis.
The Customs Administration explained that most of the counterfeit goods seized by customs in recent years were imported by express delivery. In 2023, a total of 292 infringement cases were seized in the sea and air express cargo zones, accounting for 89.5% of the annual caseload. The categories of seized counterfeit goods were 3C products, cosmetics, clothing and medicines, which are mostly used in daily life. The inflow of such counterfeit products into the domestic market will not only jeopardize the rights and health of consumers, but also affect the business results of legitimate manufacturers and tarnish our international image.
In order to prevent infringing goods from being exported and imported into the country, the Customs not only applies the risk management mechanism to strengthen the inspection of goods from high-risk regions and manufacturers, but also actively cooperates with rights holders and regularly organizes seminars on the identification of genuine and counterfeit goods to enhance the detection knowledge and skills of the customs officers in identifying counterfeits, and at the same time, strengthens the horizontal connection with other law enforcement agencies and regularly participates in the inter-ministerial coordination meeting on the protection of intellectual property rights through the exchange of information and opinions, so as to enhance the effectiveness of the investigation and seizure through the exchange of information and opinions.
The Customs Administration emphasized that it is the responsibility and obligation of the Customs to enforce border control by detecting counterfeit and pirated goods and ensuring legal and crackdown on illegal goods. The Customs will continue to improve the professional knowledge of customs officers, prevent counterfeit and pirated goods from entering the country, ensure border security and promote a fair international trade environment.
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