EUIPO-European Commission Report Says Value of Detained Counterfeits Hit Record High in 2025

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission released a report today titled “EU Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” on results at the EU border and in the EU internal market in 2025. The report explained that “over 196 million counterfeit articles were detained at the EU border and in the EU internal market, with an estimated retail value of EUR 6.3 billion.” Detention volume rose over 67% from 2024, and the estimated value surpassed 2024 by almost 63%, which the report identifies as the “second consecutive all-time record” for value.

The report describes 2025 as “a new benchmark year.” It presents data on customs detentions at the border and internal market detentions by police and market surveillance authorities.

Within the internal market, detentions exceeded 175 million articles, valued at an estimated EUR 4.6 billion, up nearly 71% from 2024 and more than 27% from the 2023 peak. Recorded CDs/DVDs, including software, led the detention list at 32.78%, down from 40.02% in 2024. Toys followed at 19.47%, and labels, tags, and stickers rose to 13.41% from 2.11% in 2024. Games increased from 1.29% to 4.32%. The report describes labels, tags, and stickers as assembly materials that can multiply counterfeits within the EU.

Trademarks accounted for over 57% of the intellectual property rights (IPRs) infringed in detained goods, ahead of copyright at 43% and designs at 7%. Italy accounted for 80.21% of detained articles and 73.93% of the estimated value.

At the EU border, customs authorities detained 42.1 million articles, a 114% increase, with an estimated value of almost EUR 2.0 billion. Each figure is the highest recorded since Regulation (EU) 608/2013 entered into force. The report attributes the rise in articles mainly to an “exceptional detention of 16 million items of other tobacco products.” Other tobacco products represented 42% of articles detained at the border, followed by toys at 12.01%. The number of detention cases also increased, which the report describes as a continuation of the 2024 trend toward “more targeted and effective border controls.”

China accounted for 40.77% of articles detained at the border by country of provenance, followed by Türkiye at 18.63% and Hong Kong, China, at 5.70%. Road transport surpassed sea cargo as the primary mode of transport for detained goods, with 24 million articles worth EUR 164.86 million, compared with 11 million articles worth EUR 1.23 billion by sea. Express courier accounted for the most registered cases at 45,094, followed by postal consignments at 26,453 and air transport at 14,836. Express courier consignments showed the highest increase compared with 2024.

Customs authorities processed 1,642 National Applications for Action (NAFAs) and 1,501 Union Applications for Action (UAFAs), resulting in 42,169 national and converted Union applications, a decrease of 1.41% from 2024. Customs ex officio actions decreased slightly to 1.82%. Procedures resulted in destruction of goods in 84.69% of cases, with 56.58% through the standard procedure and 28.12% through the small consignment procedure. In 5.51% of procedures, the right holder took no action.

In the internal market, EU rights holders sent over 1,305 alerts to national authorities through the IP Enforcement Portal (IPEP), compared with 1,981 in 2024. The portal facilitated communication during European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) joint operations, including OPSON XIV, Shield VI, Ludus, and KRATOS 2. The report states that the availability of alternative official communication tools, operational and technical constraints, third-country access restrictions, and varying levels of user familiarity may partly influence the outcome.

The estimated value of goods detained at the border for IPR infringements accounted for 0.66‰ of imports from third countries, mirroring 2024. Across Member States, the figure ranged from 0.05‰ in Finland and Slovenia to 20.87‰ in Cyprus. The value of counterfeit goods trade into the EU was estimated at EUR 99 billion in 2021, or as much as 4.7% of total imports, and the value of counterfeit goods detained at the border represented some 0.43% of that estimate.

The report identifies diverse transport methods, limited inspection capacity, and increasing e-commerce volumes linked to express courier and postal services as enforcement challenges that remain. For border enforcement, it states that effective countermeasures rely on “close and committed collaboration and timely information exchange” among stakeholders, including transport companies and e-commerce platforms. For the internal market, it points to a “need for new proactive approaches and for the closer involvement of other stakeholders,” such as key transport operators and online marketplaces.

Note: Images are from EUIPO-EC report.