Description of global trade in counterfeit goods 2025: global trends and enforcement challenges

Description of global trade in counterfeit goods 2025: global trends and enforcement challenges

In May 2025, a new joint study by EUIPO and OECD was published. This study describes and analyzes the state of global trade in counterfeit goods, using data from 2021.

Some of the conclusions reached by this study are as follows:

• Global trade is becoming increasingly efficient, but also more complex to manage. This, combined with the growing importance of industrial property (IP) rights, makes collaboration essential to safeguard IP rights enforcement at the international level.
• The illicit trade in counterfeit goods takes advantage of the complexity of supply chains to gain a foothold in the market.
• Although counterfeits exist for virtually everything, the sectors most affected are clothing, footwear, and electronics.
• The main source of counterfeits continues to be China.
• New trade routes are opening up, such as international waterways like the Danube. The trend toward localization is confirmed: importing counterfeits in parts and assembling them near their destination points. Free trade zones, with fewer controls, favor this trend
• Counterfeiters take advantage of the infrastructure of online sales platforms, with postal services being their main distribution channel.
• The data for 2021 shows:
  • Global trade in counterfeits amounted to USD 467 billion, or 2.3% of total imports
  • In the European Union, counterfeit goods worth EUR 117 billion were imported, accounting for 4.7% of total imports.
• The EU remains a prime target for imports of counterfeit goods, mainly from China and Hong Kong (China). There is a worrying presence of items considered dangerous, such as counterfeit car parts and pharmaceutical products.
• Counterfeiters exploit gaps in law enforcement, limited resources, and changing priorities, compounded by “localization” and small parcel shipments, which further complicate detection. Combating this phenomenon requires coordination, information sharing, and collaboration with rights holders and commercial intermediaries.

More information

Executive summary

Full report