South Korea's customs agency said Thursday it has agreed with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to expand cooperation on customs affairs and the protection of intellectual property rights.
The Korea Customs Service said it signed separate memorandums of understanding with the three countries earlier this week as part of efforts to eradicate trade in counterfeit Korean products.
"The MOUs are intended to proactively block the distribution of counterfeit products seeking to take advantage of the popularity of Korean brands at the import and export stages," the customs agency said.
Under the agreements, South Korea and the Central Asian nations will share information concerning counterfeit products and conduct joint enforcement operations.
South Korea additionally signed customs mutual assistance agreements with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan earlier this week to share customs-related information and technology and strengthen cooperation in the field.
The agreements will lead to the establishment of customs clearance communication channels, helping South Korean exporters promptly resolve difficulties involving customs procedures in the three countries.
The agreements are expected to facilitate information sharing and joint responses to illicit trade activities, including the smuggling of weapons and drugs along with customs duty evasion, the agency added. (Yonhap)
