Tightening the defence against trade in illicit goods

IN SHIPPING, counterfeit goods are an age-old problem. And as the world's busiest transhipment hub, where containers and goods are shipped to before being transferred to another destination, Singapore is widely seen as a maritime powerhouse, known for its speed, efficiency and reliability. But that also makes it particularly vulnerable to counterfeits.

Thousands of containers pass through the port every day, with goods being processed, assembled or reassembled, repackaged or relabelled - making it an easy target for counterfeiters to hide or disguise illicit shipments.

Singapore was ranked sixth out of 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region in a recent index by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which looks at the extent to which countries create an enabling environment for illicit trade, through both action and inaction. New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong topped the list.