USCIB Co-Hosts Non-Counterfeit Illicit Products Dialogue with OECD and Business at OECD (BIAC)

USCIB co-hostedthe second OECD Dialogue on Non-Counterfeit Illicit Products (NCIP) on November 19, heldat the National IPR Center in Washington,DC. This dialogue is part of a new OECD initiative-the Framework for Action on Illicit Goods-and is designed to address the fast-growing trade in illicit goods that are legally produced yet traded, moved, or sold in violations of laws and regulations.

The dialogue featuredexperts in this field including government officials, representatives from OECD, BIAC, academics, and USCIB members and staff, including Lisa Smiley(Kenvue), Tim Mohn(Johnson & Johnson), Jeff Moore (FMC Corporation), Jennifer Lane(Amazonand Chair of the USCIB Anti-Illicit Trade Committee), Jay Kennedy(PMI), Susan Wilson (Intel and Chair of the BIACAnti-Illicit Trade Experts Group), and Michael Rousek, USCIB's new VP, Customs and Trade Facilitation.

The initiative was introduced at the second meeting of the OECD Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT) in March 2025. Following discussions at this meeting, the OECD held the first Dialogue on Non-Counterfeit Illicit Products in Tokyo in August 2025, supported by the Japanese industry organization Keidanren. The third Dialogue will be held in the EU in January 2026.

The consequences of unchecked NCIP trade are far-reaching. From a public health perspective, the circulation of non-compliant food and harmful ingredients, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics poses direct risks to consumers, sometimes fatal. Environmentally, the spread of banned or unregulated pesticides can result in lasting ecological damage. Economically, illicit trade in NCIPs undermines tax collection through smuggling and excise evasion, distorts competition by disadvantaging compliant businesses, and erodes public trust in the integrity of regulatory and legal institutions. Addressing this growing threat requires more robust data, greater public awareness, better institutional coordination, public-private partnerships, and a coherent policy framework that transcends sectoral and national boundaries.