SICPA Participates in Tobacco Asia Expo in Hong Kong

SICPA Participates in Tobacco Asia Expo in Hong Kong

February 07, 2007

Highlights Added-Value Services to Tobacco Industry


    HONG KONG, Feb. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- SICPA (
http://www.sicpa.com ), a leading global provider of
Product Security solutions, demonstrated its commitment to
Asia's tobacco industry by participating in the
recently-concluded 2007 Tobacco Asia Expo, held in Hong
Kong from January 17-19, 2007. 

    Sharing best practices in product security
technologies, SICPA showcased its SICPATRACE(*) Track &
Trace system and authentication solutions -- the company's
unique and complete secure solution for coding,
verification, tracking and data management of products and
documents of value.  The technology brings value-added
services to Governments and the tobacco industry through a
secure and integrated authentication system and
infrastructure program that helps deter illicit trade in
tobacco.

    The World Bank estimates that 355 billion cigarettes
enter the illicit market each year, accounting for as much
as 8.5 per cent of global consumption.  Given the high
incidence of counterfeiting and illicit trade in the
region, SICPA's participation in Tobacco Asia Expo is both
timely and relevant.  SICPA delivers proven and effective
technological solutions to governments and industry in
their fight to eradicate illicit trade.  SICPA's solutions
operate in the State of California and Malaysia and are
currently undergoing full deployment by the Government in
Brazil.  The Turkish Government officially announced the
selection of SICPA to develop and implement a nationwide
Track and Trace Solution covering the tobacco and alcohol
industry in December, 2006. In Vietnam, the Government
signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2006 with
SICPA covering SICPATRACE technology.  SICPATRACE, which
also supports business processes, is used for tracking
products from the moment they are manufactured, through
their distribution and availability in the field.  SICPA
recognises that the Asia-Pacific region will be important
to the company's growth worldwide. 

    Stressing the region's importance, SICPA Director Neil
Coupland said in Hong Kong, "We view Asia's tobacco
industry as a key growth area, in part due to the
incidences of counterfeiting, smuggling and diversion
schemes that impact the industry in Asia."

    Tobacco Asia Expo was conducted in partnership with
Tobacco Asia magazine.  The Expo focused on the three
primary segments of the tobacco industry -- products
(manufacturers and trademark holders for cigarettes, cigars
and pipe tobacco), manufacturing (equipment, machinery,
supplies and services necessary for manufacturing and
packaging tobacco products) and leaf (exporters,
processors, blenders and trade groups).

    (*) SICPATRACE is a trademark of SICPA Holding SA,
registered in Switzerland and other countries


    For more information, please contact:

     Mr Marc Bretler, SICPA
     Office: [phone]
     Email:  [e-mail]


SOURCE  SICPA