Record number of counterfeit products intercepted in EU

Customs authorities and other enforcement agencies in the EU intercepted a record 196 million suspected counterfeit items last year, with a total estimated value of 6.3 billion euros. That is 67 percent more than in 2024.

This is according to a report by the European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Formally, the figures concern items suspected of infringing intellectual property rights.

Interceptions

Of the 196 million items intercepted, 154 million were detained within the EU. The remaining 42 million were intercepted at the EU’s external borders, more than double the number recorded a year earlier.

Nearly 2 billion euros in goods intercepted at EU borders

The total estimated value of goods intercepted at the EU’s external borders was around 2 billion euros. Most detention cases by EU customs authorities involved express courier shipments (45,094 cases last year) and postal consignments (26,453 cases), which are “typically related to ecommerce”, according to the European Commission.

‘Increasingly difficult’

Commenting on the figures, the European Commission highlighted the challenges facing customs authorities: “Customs face increasing challenges due to the growing volume of goods entering the EU through ecommerce, combined with fragmented supply chains and diverse transport methods. This makes identifying and intercepting counterfeit goods increasingly difficult.”

Identify high-risk shipments more quickly

The European Commission points to the recently adopted Customs Reform, which will introduce an EU Customs Authority and an EU Customs Data Hub to track supply chains in real time and identify high-risk shipments more quickly.

Surveillance fee

Brussels is also using levies to curb the influx of counterfeit and low-quality products, particularly from China, while promoting fair competition, more efficient customs clearance and product safety. In addition to the 3-euro import duty and the upcoming 2-euro customs clearance fee, the European Commission is working on a surveillance fee aimed at improving product inspections.