German customs reported approximately 4.6 million counterfeit items seized for 2025 – fewer than in the previous year, which saw more than 5 million counterfeits seized. However, a look at the value of the counterfeit seized puts this trend into perspective: At around 446 million euros, this is significantly higher than in the previous year (2024: approx. 417 million euros) and marks a new high. This confirms a trend that has already been emerging in recent years. Seized counterfeit goods are increasingly shifting from large quantities of lower-priced imitations to smaller quantities of higher-value goods. This is according to the new 2025 Annual Customs Statistics and the 2025 Report on Intellectual Property Rights Protection by the General Customs Directorate, which Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and Dr. Armin Rolfink, President of the General Customs Directorate, presented in June.
The trend in the number of seizures also fits with this picture: After the number of cases had been declining in 2024 despite rising volumes, the tendency is now reversing. In 2025, the number of cases increased significantly, reaching 19,124 – a figure clearly higher than the previous year’s 16,857 – and thus once again approaching the 2023 level of 20,179 cases.
A closer look at the figures reveals a significant shift in the value of goods within individual product categories in 2025. The personal accessories category – which includes items such as bags, watches, sunglasses, and jewelry – continues to register by far the largest increase. The value of goods in this category rises to around 313.5 million euros (2024: approx. 225.9 million euros), accounting for the majority of the total seizure value. However, customs authorities also report significant growth in the toys, games, and sporting goods category, reaching around 18.9 million euros (2024: approx. 6.8 million euros). The value of personal care products, such as perfumes and cosmetics, has also risen markedly to now around 15.5 million euros (2024: approx. 6.8 million euros). In contrast, there have been significant declines in other categories. The downturn is particularly pronounced in the clothing and accessories category, where the value of goods seized has fallen from around 82.5 million euros – following a strong increase the previous year – to just about 24.4 million euros. The electronic and computer equipment category has also lost significantly, dropping to around 4.2 million euros (2024: approx. 15.9 million euros).
A different, and in some cases contrasting, picture emerges when looking at the quantities of goods seized. While many traditional consumer goods are seeing clear declines, certain categories continued to rise. Particularly striking is the trend in the other goods category (including items such as machinery, packaging, and components), where the number of units rose to approximately 2.85 million (2024: approx. 1.39 million). Footwear also grew, reaching around 213,000 items (2024: approx. 178,000). In contrast, there are, at times considerable, declines in several categories that were previously strongly present. For example, the volume of clothing and accessories has fallen significantly to around 171,000 items (2024: approx. 765,000). Personal care products also declined significantly to about 223,000 units (2024: approx. 586,000), as did cell phones and accessories, which fell to around 78,000 units (2024: approx. 295,000). There is also a marked decline in electronic and computer equipment, which plummeted from around 280,000 to about 52,000 units.
Based on the quantities of goods seized, Poland has moved to the top of the list of countries of origin for the first time, with nearly 33%. In previous years, Poland had consistently accounted for less than 1% in this regard. China remains at the forefront too, with about 29%, marking another significant decline compared to 2024 (when it was still accounting for around 39%), as does the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which is part of China, with an additional 19% approximately. A slight increase can be noted for the United Kingdom, which accounted for about 6% of the goods seized in 2025 (2024: about 3%). Türkiye, however, has fallen significantly compared to the previous year to around 4.5% (2024: around 12%). Slight increases were also seen in the United Arab Emirates and Armenia, each accounting for around 2% (both were well below 1% in the previous year).
A look at the transportation routes of counterfeit goods reveals a clear pattern in 2025, with only slight shifts. Postal traffic continues to account for the largest share of seizures, at around 56%, but has declined significantly compared to the previous year. At the same time, air traffic gained noticeably, accounting for about 35% of cases. In terms of the value of the goods, the picture remains clearly unchanged: Air transport dominated in terms of the value of the counterfeit goods seized, accounting for about 69%, while postal traffic, despite high case numbers, accounted for only about 9%. This confirms the trend: Many small shipments characterized the seizures, while the seizure values primarily came from higher-value goods transported by air.
There is also a largely consistent pattern regarding the intellectual property rights infringed by the seized products. Trademark infringements continued to dominate significantly, accounting for approximately 92% of the seizures. The share of design infringements rose slightly to about 7%, while infringements of geographical indications were seldom detected, at just under 1%. As in previous years, infringements of copyrights, patents, or trade names continued to be detected only rarely.
Dr. Armin Rolfink, President of the General Customs Directorate, once again highlighted the importance of customs work in connection with the report’s publication. Germany’s Federal Minister of Finance, Lars Klingbeil, also emphasized that customs played a central role in protecting the German economy and enforcing the law in international trade.
