Smuggling, piracy and counterfeiting: a continuous fight

By Francisco Espinosa Reboa

With representatives from 15 countries of the region, the second meeting of the Latin American Anti-Smuggling Alliance (ALAC, for its Spanish acronym) took place in Santiago de Chile, Chile. Participants agreed to point out that one of the main conclusions of the meeting was that smuggling in Latin America continues to be an unsolved problem, representing between 0.9% and 2% of the GDP in many Latin American countries.

Adolfo Bernui, technical secretary of the Anti-Smuggling and Piracy Commission of Peru, chaired by the Ministry of Production, explained that the situation in Peru is not very different from other neighbor countries, as smuggling is increasing and actions must be taken immediately with a frank commitment from both the public and private sectors.

According to estimates informed by Bernui, smuggling, piracy and counterfeiting represent around USD 2 billion of losses a year for Peru: the most confiscated goods are shoes, wallets, medicines, cigarettes, liquors, toys, fragrances, lenses and hygiene products.