What Changed
- Summarised joint enforcement results, including a 12-day operation in July seizing 38,000 suspected counterfeit items valued at $15 million.
- Agreed to deepen targeted joint operations and refine dual-directional intelligence feedback arrangements across key control points.
- Established plans to build a multi-party synergistic IPR protection framework engaging law enforcement, industry organisations, and rights holders.
Logistics providers, express couriers, brand owners, and rights holders operating across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) face intensified intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement following the sixth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Customs Intellectual Property Enforcement Cooperation Meeting held in Hong Kong on November 9, 2026.
The meeting brought together delegations led by Mr Mark Woo, Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of Hong Kong Customs and Excise; Mr Bi Kexin, Deputy Director-General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC); and Mr Ip Wa-chio, Assistant Director-General of the Macao Customs Service.
During the session, the three customs administrations reviewed joint enforcement results, highlighting a 12-day operation conducted from July 20 to July 31. The operation targeted goods shipped to the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia to combat cross-boundary and transhipment counterfeiting. Utilizing risk assessment, Hong Kong Customs targeted express couriers and logistics providers, seizing approximately 38,000 suspected counterfeit items—including watches, mobile phones, and accessories—with an estimated market value of about $15 million.
To advance GBA intellectual property protection under the GBA Outline Development Plan initiated in 2019, the authorities agreed on three enforcement directions:
1. Deepening targeted joint operations across key control points and commodities;
2. Streamlining multilevel intelligence communication by refining dual-directional feedback arrangements; and
3. Enhancing communication with rights holders to build a multi-party synergistic framework involving law enforcement agencies, industry organisations, and brand owners.
Additionally, the Guangdong delegation inspected an express operation centre in Tuen Mun to evaluate Hong Kong Customs' express supervision and risk profiling methods. Businesses operating cross-border logistics should prepare for heightened monitoring and enhanced intelligence-sharing mechanisms across GBA control points.
Who May Be Affected
Express couriers, logistics companies, cross-border traders, and IP rights holders operating in or routing cargo through Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Guangdong.
Cross-Border Context
Coordinates enforcement between mainland China (Guangdong), Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR, specifically targeting transhipment goods destined for international markets in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
What to check next
- Check future regulatory announcements or guidelines issued by Hong Kong Customs, Macao Customs, or GACC regarding express courier risk profiling and joint enforcement actions.
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult the official text and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances where needed.