Which EU country seizes the highest amount of fake goods?

Published on 20/05/2025 - 15:10 GMT+2

A caller report from nan Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) quantifies nan worldwide worth of counterfeit equipment astatine complete €416 billion, astir 2.3% of world imports.

The EU is simply a superior target: astir €99 cardinal worthy of its imports, aliases 4.7%, are fake.

Remarkably, 20 of nan world's apical 25 destinations for counterfeit products are EU personnel states.

When it comes to seized goods, Germany is only 2nd to nan United States successful measurement - but leads nan world successful value: Berlin seizes much than a 4th of nan full worth of counterfeit goods.

France and Belgium are besides premier targets, pinch 9% and 7% of nan world seized value, respectively.

What's nan superior root of fakes destined for nan EU?

More than half of nan seized counterfeit products destined for nan European Union came from China, followed by Turkey (22%) and Hong Kong (12%).

"Counterfeit waste and acquisition fuels corruption and organised crime, establishing a vicious rhythm wherever invention is stifled, user spot is eroded and resources are diverted from morganatic businesses to illicit operations", says nan report.

The astir communal shipping method is message (58%). Express courier (17%), aerial (13%) and roadworthy (10%) are besides wide utilized to smuggle fakes.

Toys, cosmetics: Officers raise siren astir vulnerable fakes

EU customs officers reported important volumes of clone equipment that airs wellness and information issues.

Cosmetics and toys are a apical concern. In 2020-21, they were respectively 6th and 7th for measurement seized. The beingness of counterfeit automotive parts (10th) and pharmaceutical products (12th) is besides a peculiar worry.

Clothing items and footwear were nan astir commonly seized clone items overall. But erstwhile it comes to value, counterfeit watches apical nan list, accounting for astir 30% of nan total.

According to nan OECD, caller world crises - including nan COVID-19 pandemic and nan warfare successful Ukraine - person made protecting intelligence spot moreover much challenging.

Disrupted proviso concatenation and shifting waste and acquisition regularisation enforcement priorities person added caller layers of complexity to consequence management.