EU: Increase in seized counterfeit goods

Custom authorities across the EU seize more and more counterfeit items according to new statistics from the European Commission. Last year saw an increase of 15%, or an estimated five million more counterfeit products, compared to 2014.

Over 40 million products were detained at the EU’s external borders under the suspicion of breaching intellectual property rights in 2015. The total value of the seized goods was nearly €650 million.
Cigarettes top the list of detained goods closely followed by everyday products such as food and beverages, toiletries, medicines, etc. Most counterfeit items seized in the EU originate from China.