China Source Of 80 Percent Of Suspected Fakes Seized

By REUTERS | The New York Times
15 June 2007

China is the source of about 80 percent of shipments of suspected fake goods seized by U.S. Customs last year, a U.S. Customs official said on Friday.

The extent of pirated goods made in China, from drugs and designer bags to golf clubs and DVDs, has become a major source of friction between Beijing and Washington, prompting the United States to lodge two intellectual property rights (IPR) cases against China at the World Trade Organization this year.

W. Ralph Basham, Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said he hoped a new agreement with China to provide information on seizures would help curb rampant violations.

"We've got to start dealing with the source of the problem. We can't expect to rely on interdiction to be our tool in order to stop these IPR violations," Basham told reporters.

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