Customs controls to combat counterfeit products is inadequate, according to a report by an EU trademark agency that calls attention to the role of ocean freight containers in moving illegal goods into Europe.
The EU Intellectual Property Office said on Monday that in recent decades, maritime transport has become a major channel for the shipping of counterfeit goods.
Most such shipments are from East Asia, especially China and Hong Kong, accounting for 79 per cent of the total value of containers containing fakes seized worldwide between 2014 and 2016.
During the same time, counterfeits accounted for 6.8 per cent of goods imports into the EU from third countries, an amount worth 121 billion euros ($146 billion).
Most of the fakes came by way of shipping containers.
The Spain-based agency said that it appeared counterfeits had not been a high priority for customs officials, who instead treated them as commercial trade infractions rather than criminal activity.
It said more effort was needed to target counterfeit products, similar to the manner in which narcotics and other hazardous goods are treated at ports.
To make its point, the agency noted the cases of pandemic-related counterfeit products that have made headlines.
“Heightened concern over counterfeit personal protection equipment and medicines as a result of the COVID-19 crisis has opened a window for significant progress to be made in countering this illicit trade,’’ Executive Director, Christian Archambeau, said in a statement.