Counterfeit goods make up 2.5% of global trade
A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office says that counterfeit goods represent 2.5% of all international trade.
A study was carried out on half a million custom seizures between 2011 and 2013 and indicated that the value of counterfeit goods stood at $461 billion. In an earlier study in 2008, the OECD found that counterfeit goods made up 1.9% of global imports.
The most popular items to counterfeit for export were branded shoes, clothes and leather goods, the OECD found. The figures did not include virtual piracy such as file-sharing and unlawful downloads as their value is more difficult to calculate.
China was found to be the biggest source of counterfeit goods, with 63% of all seizures being traced back to Chinese producers. Turkey was the next largest offender with 3.3% of total seizures. Thailand, India and Morocco were also in the top ten.
