The Declaration demonstrates the commitment of vessel companies, transport service providers and brand owners to work together to stop counterfeits out of maritime trade routes. The non-binding Declaration acknowledges the “destructive impact” of the international trade in counterfeits and calls on the maritime transport industry to address the issue “through continuous proactive measures, and corporate social responsibility principles.”
The principles include adopting a zero tolerance policy regarding counterfeiting and applying “Know Your Customer” and other due diligence measures to stop business with those dealing in the counterfeit trade. Another principle covers cooperation on information exchanges between the parties on the detection and seizure of counterfeit products.
The Declaration grew out of concerns from brand owners that transport operators were being exploited by criminal networks to transport counterfeit goods. This phenomenon was summarized in a landmark report on the “Role and Responsibilities of Intermediaries: Fighting Counterfeiting and Piracy in the Supply Chain”, published in 2015 by BASCAP.
Following publication of the report, BASCAP organized a working group of its members to initiate a cross-sector dialogue with the transport industry to discuss ways to work together to find voluntary solutions.