MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1983
4
WINNING THE BATTLE AGAINST COUNTERFEITING
****
OFFICERS OF THE TRADE CONTROLS INVESTIGATION BRANCH OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT CARRIED OUT 571 OPERATIONS LAST YEAR - AN INCREASE OF 34 PER CENT OVER 1981 - RESULTING IN THE SEIZURE OF $16 MILLION WORTH OF COUNTERFEIT MERCHANDISE.
THE GOODS SEIZED UNDER THE TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ORDINANCE COMPRISED COUNTERFEIT JEANS, FASHION GARMENTS, LEATHERWARE, NECKTIES, SCARVES AND 'T' SHIRTS VALUED AT $6.6 MILLION; WATCHES BEARING VARIOUS WELL KNOWN BRAND NAMES, VALUED
AT $4.2 MILLION AND CHINESE PATENT MEDICINES AND PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS VALUED AT OVER $1 MILLION. ALSO SEIZED WERE DETERGENTS, HARDWARE. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND FOODSTUFFS WITH A MARKET VALUE OF $4.2 MILLION,
FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS AMOUNTED TO $2.6 MILLION - ALMOST DOUBLE THE TOTAL IMPOSED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. CUSTODIAL SENTENCES INCREASED FROM SIX IN 1981 TO 15 LAST YEAR.
COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT SAID: +THESE FIGURES SHOULD BE VIEWED IN THE CONTEXT OF HONG KONG'S 1982 DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF $83 000 MILLION, INDICATING THAT THE COUNTERFEIT TRADE IS A VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF LEGITIMATE TRADE AS A WHOLE.+
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAINTAINED CLOSE LIAISON WITH THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION AND REPRESENTATIVES OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS CONSUMERS, TO CONTAIN THIS ILLICIT AND UNSCRUPULOUS MALPRACTICE.
+ANYBODY WHO HAS SUSPICION THAT GOODS ARE BEING FALSELY LABELLED SHOULD RING THE DEPARTMENT'S HOT LINES, 5-7903267 AND 5-7901074, + HE ADDED.
15