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-Editorial
The Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services, and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur) has recognized the Federal Government’s efforts, through joint operations by various agencies, to combat the trade of goods introduced and distributed illegally in the country.
These operations, led by Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon and Secretary of the Navy Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, aim to eradicate illicit practices that harm the population and the formal national economy while protecting industries such as textiles and toys, among others.
As part of the strategy against illicit goods, the Ministry of Economy (SE), the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), headed by Santiago Nieto Castillo, and the Tax Administration Service (SAT) have conducted operations targeting illegal merchandise that violates the Federal Law on Industrial Property Protection.
In this regard, the Confederation’s president, Octavio de la Torre, stated, “We support the measures the federal government is implementing to address these practices present in the country.”
He recalled that work meetings have been held with IMPI Director General Santiago Nieto and SAT Chief Antonio Martínez, where concerns from local Chambers of Commerce about the entry of illegal goods were expressed.
To address this, the Confederation has also requested their intervention and support to implement measures to solve this issue, which negatively impacts local commerce and the formal economy.
The president emphasized that the Confederation serves as a bridge to propose and promote actions to strengthen the formal economy, seeking close collaboration with government entities to enhance the sector’s competitiveness and combat piracy and smuggling.
De la Torre referred to a study by the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University, which revealed that in Mexico, 50% of consumers knowingly purchased pirated products in the past 12 months. Furthermore, seven out of ten consumers unknowingly bought counterfeit goods, and 9% of those who purchased counterfeit items reported health issues, underscoring the need for coordinated actions with Profeco to protect consumers and Mexican families’ economies.
Additionally, SAT reported integrating 77 administrative cases last year for smuggling and fraud. The fiscal damage from these detected cases amounts to 6.07 billion pesos, a 257.9% increase compared to 2022.
De la Torre noted that while some counterfeit goods come from Asian regions, the issue of piracy and smuggling extends beyond the origin of the products.
He added that unfair competition through subsidized cheaper products, origin triangulation, undervaluation for tax evasion, and smuggling leads to the closure of family businesses and legitimate companies, job losses, and the degradation of national and local economies.
