EU seizes €1bn fake goods, with China the main offender

Fake goods worth in the region of €1bn were seized at EU borders last year.

Almost 40m products suspected of violating intellectual property rights were detained by EU customs in 2012, according to the European Commission’s annual report on customs actions.

This is less than in 2011 but the value of the intercepted goods is still high, at nearly €1bn. China continues to be the main source of fakes.