Wayne Pinkstaff
- 40 years experience in product and supply chain integrity as an investigator and advisor
- 29 years experience with U.S. Government agencies investigating and prosecuting import and export crimes and high technology and munitions theft
- Consults with consumer goods and industrial clients in anti-counterfeiting, and security of personnel, supply chain and facilities
- All 7 Best Practices
- Pre-Meeting Discovery Process
- One-on-One Call with Expert
- Meeting Summary Report
- Post-Meeting Engagement
Import Controls - Product Protection
Overview
With globalization and expanded manufacturing capabilities in dozens of countries, trafficking of counterfeit goods is increasing in the United States and around the world, and it costs legitimate businesses billions of dollars a year in lost sales and damaged reputations while sometimes endangering consumers.
Overall, the value of counterfeit goods crossing international borders is more than $250 billion, according to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Other sources estimate that it's double that.
Traditionally, counterfeit consumer goods included apparel, watches and handbags, along with music and video CDs/DVDs. These days, regulators are concerned about health and safety hazards posed by pharmaceuticals, military and civilian aircraft parts, baby formula and toothpaste, electronic equipment and batteries, among other products.
Manufacturers are finding a need to take steps at home and abroad to protect intellectual property, track down counterfeiters and traffickers, warn retailers and cooperate with authorities. The cost of ignoring this problem is high.
Risks include:
- Loss of sales revenue.
- Loss of reputation due to the integrity of the brand being diminished.
- Exposure to potential civil litigation related to inferior/hazardous counterfeit product.
- Increased costs in development of counterfeit-resistant products.