NXP joins forces with WCO to leverage NFC

Over the past year, the WCO has developed IPM Connected, a global network of security solution providers interfaced with IPM that enables customs officials to instantly verify the authenticity of a product. NXP’s full suite of high-performance NFC tag solutions, based on established standards that ensure maximum compatibility with NFC-enabled devices, will gradually interface into the IPM anti-counterfeiting platform providing a secure authentication service for brand owners.

Brand owners or rights holders can apply NFC tags to protect their products at the point of manufacture. These secure NFC tags provide an additional scaled layer of security and can be used to deliver details on the product only known by the brand owner or rights holder. Genuine products can be quickly and reliably verified at any point in the supply chain by an NFC-enabled device, such as a smartphone or a computer with a connected reader.

As goods pass international borders customs officials using the WCO’s IPM web or mobile application will be able to dynamically spot-check the authenticity of the product by cross referencing real-time information provided by the brand owners. With many existing anti-counterfeiting technologies, such as bar codes and holograms, already being duplicated by counterfeiters NFC is quickly emerging as the next force in brand authentication and source-to-sale channel traceability.

“Being able to offer our secure and fully standardized NFC solutions to the WCO IPM program is a significant development and ensures that technology remains at the forefront of the fight against global counterfeiting,” said Matthias Poppel, General Manager, secure mobility and retail, NXP Semiconductors. “Over 70% of all counterfeit seizures in the world are processed by customs officials on the front line. Having a simple, yet highly effective way to instantly verify the authenticity of a product, using NFC tags and a secure NFC-enabled smartphone for example, will help streamline the international customs process and provide a deterrent for would-be counterfeiters.”

According to the International Chamber of Commerce global financial losses from counterfeiting soared to $1 trillion in 2013 and losses are forecast to jump to $2.3 trillion by 2018. Global counterfeiting is accelerating rapidly at a double-digit rate and already impacts many industries such as fashion; food and beverages; FMCGs; electronics and, pharmaceuticals.

The WCO is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. The WCO represents 180 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global center of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organisation with competence in Customs matters, rightly calling itself the voice of the international Customs community.