IHS: One counterfeit part reported every 15 seconds

The study found that 2011 was a record year for electronic counterfeiting, with 1,363 reported incidents. As each case can include thousands of separate parts, that totals up to 12million over the past five and a quarter years – equating to more than one counterfeit part every 15 seconds. According to IHS, China and the US were responsible for two thirds of the reported incidents last year, with China at 32% and the US at 33%. However, the countries of origin accounting for the counterfeit parts is said to be more disparate, with Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and the Philippines collectively accounting for 64% of reports. For many companies, particularly those in the defence and aerospace industries, much of the counterfeit risk is said to be in obsolete parts. The research stated that one in two counterfeit parts shipped between 2001 and 2011 were obsolete. "This underscores the importance of obsolescence management and lifecycle planning," said Rory King, director of supply chain product marketing at IHS. "Although obsolescence management is critical, more than one third of counterfeit incidents are for active components underscoring that this issue is not exclusively a matter of obsolescence management. Vigilance in managing continuity of supply is very important, and companies need knowledge of actual counterfeit parts that are currently in circulation in the supply chain."