MULTINATIONALS URGE FIRM ACTION ON MEXICAN COUNTERFEITING

Mexico has pledged to reform its Health Law to strengthen regulators' powers to crack down on the country's US$700mn illegal drug counterfeiting sector. However, a group of multinationals -- led by trade association AMIIF -- has decried the slow pace of change, as elections take priority at the expense of market reform.

Under the stalled reforms, counterfeiting would become a crime punishable by imprisonment. Major sources for these drugs reportedly include Asian countries, with street markets and the informal retail sector being the key outlets for the illicit trade.