Business calls for further cooperation to address regulatory gaps on non-counterfeit illicit products

On 6 August 2025, Business at OECD participated in the OECD’s first seminar on Non-Counterfeit Illicit Products (NCIPs), hosted by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) in Tokyo, Japan. This event marked the launch of the OECD’s new initiative to examine goods that are illicit not due to IP infringement, but due to factors such as tax evasion or non-compliance with safety and regulatory standards. These NCIPs include, for example, unauthorised pesticides, diverted pharmaceuticals, tax-evading tobacco and alcohol, substandard automotive parts, and mislabeled consumer goods.

The purpose of this three-part seminar series is to explore types of NCIPs across sectors, as well as identify enforcement and institutional gaps to support a more systematic and coordinated policy response.

Business at OECD’s Executive Board Member and Chair of Business at OECD Japan, Seiji Inagaki, delivered opening remarks emphasising the OECD’s role in collecting cross-sectoral data, and driving international cooperation to address regulatory gaps. He stressed the need for evidence-based policy solutions developed with private sector input.

The Chair of Business at OECD’s Anti-Illicit Trade Expert Group, Susan Wilson stated, "We welcome the seminar as a vital step toward combating an often-overlooked aspect of illicit trade. The lack of a shared understanding of the contours of this problem currently impedes regulation and enforcement. The OECD is in a unique position to both define the problem and facilitate a coordinated response across industrial sectors and national borders."

Members of the private sector also highlighted the broad business risks and consumer harms associated with these products, and emphasised the need for more data and coordinated policy responses. Business at OECD will continue engaging to ensure private sector perspectives shape the OECD’s future work in this critical area with future sessions expected in Europe and the United States.

Business at OECD's Executive Board Member and Chair of Business at OECD Japan, Seiji Inagaki, delivering opening remarks.

Participants from the OECD's seminar including Business at OECD's Executive Board Member, Seiji Inagaki.

Business at OECD's Policy Expert, Minami Kakuda, served as Master of Ceremony for the event.

Business at OECD's Executive Board Member, Seiji Inagaki, with Kazuhiko Takeda Japan's National Tax Agency's Deputy Commissioner for International Affairs.