2.3% of World Trade is ‘Fake’, New Report Estimates

A new study ¹ by the OECD and EU Intellectual Property Office has found that, in 2021, the global trade in counterfeit goods was valued at approximately $467 billion, accounting for 2.3% of total global imports.

This absolute value represents an increase from 2019, when counterfeit trade was estimated at $464 billion; however, its relative share slightly decreased, as counterfeit trade represented 2.5% of world trade in 2019.

For imports into the EU, the value of counterfeits was estimated at $117 billion, or 4.7% of total imports. The EU therefore continues to be a key target for counterfeit imports.

The study shows that China continues to dominate as the primary source of counterfeit goods, with other regions also contributing. Moreover, the General Trade-Related Index of Counterfeiting index – which estimates the likelihood that specific countries are major sources of counterfeit exports – points to countries such as Bangladesh, Lebanon, Syria, and Türkiye as key sources.