Background
On 10 March 2026, the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE), in cooperation with S&O Intellectual Property Company Limited, organized a training session at the National Customs School on product identification for customs officers. The participants included 20 customs and excise officials from relevant departments, branches, and major customs offices.
According to the event description, representatives linked to nine brand owners covering 10 product categories, including clothing, hats, shoes, cosmetics, and whisky, shared key points on distinguishing genuine products from counterfeit goods.
Scope of Application
The training was directed at customs and excise officials involved in frontline and operational customs work. It focused on goods protected by registered trademarks and on customs handling of suspected counterfeit or infringing products.
The session also publicized the function for requesting suspension of customs clearance through GDCE’s intellectual property recordation platform, referred to as the IPR Recordation System (IPRRS).
Key Provisions or Decisions
The announcement describes the following operational points:
- Training customs officers to identify selected genuine and counterfeit products associated with registered trademarks.
- Raising awareness of GDCE’s IPRRS function for requesting suspension of customs clearance.
- Emphasizing cooperation between customs administrations, brand owners, and rights holders in identifying counterfeit goods, providing confidential information on infringing goods, and pursuing subsequent court procedures.
The GDCE representative stated that counterfeit and infringing goods affect public welfare, social safety, the business environment, and investment, and that brand owners, businesses, and manufacturing enterprises are among the most affected parties.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The update indicates that GDCE is strengthening customs capacity to identify trademark-protected goods and suspected counterfeit products at the border. For businesses and rights holders, the announcement is relevant because it references the IPRRS mechanism for requesting suspension of customs clearance and signals the practical role of customs in border-related intellectual property control.
For importers, traders, and brand owners, the item is useful as a record of customs operational awareness and cooperation with private rights holders on product authentication.
Official Source
General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia Facebook post, published 11 March 2026.
