INTERNATIONAL. Duty Free World Council President Sarah Branquinho has delivered a strong message on the reputational harm the duty free and travel retail industry suffers as a result of illicit trade and counterfeiting. She delivered the views on this continuing industry issue at the 2022 Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) annual conference.
Representing the Duty Free: Trusted, Transparent, Secure campaign during the conference at the Bahrain event, Branquinho – who also spoke on the subject during the recent TFWA World Exhibition & Conference – urged stakeholders to be proactive in helping to address this society-wide issue.
She noted it causes economic harm to the industry through lost sales, and can harm the reputation of the industry when illicit goods are fraudulently mislabelled as duty free to mask their origin.
Speaking during the final session of day one at the MEADFA conference on the theme ‘Defending Our Industry’, Branquinho said: “Illicit trade, counterfeiting and intellectual property theft are global challenges requiring a global commitment. Too often, fake goods sold in the domestic market are fraudulently labelled as ‘duty free’ in order to mask their illicit origins.
“Our industry suffers from economic harm through lost sales opportunities, and reputational damage from having our name co-opted by this criminal activity.
She asserted: “The duty free and travel retail industry takes a zero tolerance approach to any form of criminality, and wants to work hand in hand with customs and enforcement agencies to stamp out criminal activity wherever it occurs.”
The session updated delegates on the recent progress on regulatory and other challenges, and highlighted key duty free sector issues. It also featured Chair of the MEADFA Advocacy Working Group Rob Marriott and MEADFA Board Members Roger Jackson and Mazen Kaddoura.
Follow our full coverage from the MEADFA conference here.
