Counterfeit goods are big business in Paraguay
Counterfeit goods are big business in Paraguay
Kamilia Lahrichi, Special for USA TODAY 1:04 p.m. EDT May 18, 2015
CIUDAD DEL ESTE, Paraguay — Business is booming in this city along the Paraná River, where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet. The city center is a warren of street vendors and malls selling goods to flocks of tourists — clothing, footwear, electronics, video games, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
There's only one problem. The goods are counterfeits of American brands or authentic goods smuggled into Paraguay. Together with money laundering, the illegal trade amounts to an estimated $17 billion a year in Paraguay, an astounding sum in a country where the annual legitimate economy is valued at $29 billion.
Ciudad del Este has been on the U.S. Trade Representative's "Notorious Markets List" for 16 years. The list identifies markets where illegal trade causes major financial losses for U.S. businesses and workers.
Emblematic of the lax enforcement, this reporter witnessed Paraguayan police officers standing next to stalls of pirated American movies that sold for just $1 each.
More:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/05/18/counterfeit-goods-are-big-business-in-paraguay/27191575/