Record counterfeit haul: EU detains 196 million items, with Bulgaria near the top
Authorities in the EU seized more fake goods in 2025 than ever before: over 196 million items worth an estimated €6.3 billion. Clothing is among the most frequently detained products.
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Video: YouTube · euronews · youtube.com
The European Union took more counterfeit goods off the market in 2025 than ever before. According to a joint report by the European Commission and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), published on 22 October, customs, market surveillance authorities and police detained more than 196 million items. Their estimated value is around €6.3 billion. That is 67 per cent more than in 2024 and 29 per cent above the previous record set in 2023.
CDs and DVDs were seized most often, at almost 30 per cent, followed by toys, which made up almost one in five items. Games, clothing and cigarettes also ranked high. A notable number of labels and packaging materials suggests, according to the report, that some goods are finished inside the EU and may falsely appear to be European products. The main places of provenance were mainland China, Hong Kong and Türkiye; according to dpa, more than 40 per cent of the goods came from China and 18 per cent from Türkiye.
At the EU's external borders, Romania accounted for 43 per cent of detained items, followed by Bulgaria and Italy, FashionUnited reports. By value, Spain and Germany led. Most customs cases involved courier and postal shipments linked to e-commerce. A Euronews video titled “Fake goods, real danger” provides background on Europe's illicit trade in fakes.