According to latest estimates, cross‑border trade in counterfeit goods now accounts for products worth around 467 billion US dollars (slightly over 400 billion euros) annually. This is according to the current study Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025 – Global Trends and Enforcement Challenges, published earlier this year by OECD and EUIPO. The study analyses data, including from global customs seizures in 2020 and 2021, to obtain a detailed picture of the scope, structure, and dynamics of cross-border trade in counterfeits in 2021.
According to the study, cross‑border trade in counterfeit goods amounted to around 2.3% of global international trade in goods, not including domestic trade within countries. The share has fallen slightly compared to earlier figures from the previous study for 2019 (back then it was around 2.5%), while the absolute value remains somewhat higher than in the previous analysis. For the European Union (EU), the study found that imports of counterfeit goods amounted to around 117 billion US dollars (slightly over 100 billion euros), which is about 4.7% of all EU imports. Here, too, there has been a slight decline compared to the figures for 2019, when counterfeits were still estimated at around 5.8% of all EU imports.
Clothing, footwear, and leather goods continue to be particularly affected, accounting for over 60% of all counterfeit goods seized. Cosmetics, medicines, toys, and car parts are also among the most frequently seized products. Products of these categories are often particularly problematic, as counterfeits can pose a direct threat to consumer health and safety.
The report also highlights the significant role which online commerce plays. According to that, digital platforms and e-commerce services made it easier for counterfeiters to distribute goods directly to end customers – often in small shipments, which would present a lower risk of inspection. Around 80% of seized counterfeit shipments contained fewer than ten items. As a result, the counterfeiting trade would increasingly shift from large container shipments to fragmented, difficult‑to‑control e‑commerce distribution, creating new challenges for brand protection.
In addition, counterfeiters are said to be making increasing use of free trade zones and local manufacturing facilities to conceal supply chains and make it even more difficult to track illegal goods. Another key change in the counterfeiting market highlighted by the study is the increasing use of cross‑border waterways and inland water transport for distributing counterfeit goods, such as the Danube for example.
Just as in previous studies, China continues to be the main source of counterfeit goods: reportedly, around 45% of fake goods seized worldwide came from the People’s Republic, followed by Hong Kong and Türkiye. According to the study, the United States, Germany, and Belgium are among the countries most affected as destinations for counterfeit goods.
In order to effectively combat the growing and evolving counterfeiting market, authorities would need to make use of new tools and strengthen cooperation, according to OECD Secretary‑General Mathias Cormann. With the latest study in the Mapping Global Trade in Fakes series, and the Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have once again provided a data basis for better understanding developments and strengthening countermeasures.
