Philip Morris International Launches New Campaign to Combat Black Market Trade - Seite 2

Counterfeit and smuggled goods pose serious threats in many states. The situation has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with criminals seizing on opportunities to traffic all types of counterfeit and illegal products, including highly demanded personal protective equipment (PPE). Since January 2020, online counterfeited goods have jumped nearly 40 percent.

In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s only through open dialogue, cooperation, and the sharing of best practices between parties in the public and private sectors, as well as civil society, that we can continuously improve and advance efforts against illegal trade and the criminal networks benefiting from it.

PMI has more than two decades of experience fighting illegal trade in tobacco products. The company invests significantly in supply chain controls through preventive and protective measures, implements track-and-trace solutions worldwide in line with strict regulatory requirements, and applies comprehensive due diligence of customers and suppliers. PMI works with private and public actors alike to help advance global anti-illegal trade efforts, including through PMI IMPACT, a global initiative supporting third-party projects against illegal trade and related crimes.

For more information about PMI’s illegal trade prevention efforts, visit StopIllegal.com.

For more information about USA-IT’s efforts to combat illegal trade, and to get involved, visit USAIT.org.

About USA-IT

United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) is a public and private sector partnership protecting Americans’ security and prosperity from black market criminals.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 66 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.0 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.