Fake items detained by customs authorities at the EU border in 2020 were worth more than those detained in 2019. While their value increased by 2.4% compared to the previous year, the number of items detained at the EU border in 2020 was lower than in the year before.

When it comes to internal market detentions, more fake goods were stopped by police and market surveillance authorities than in 2019 (an increase of more than 4.6%). Their value however decreased due to the reduction in unit value of the principal (or more expensive) products detained.

The COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on detentions at the EU border and in the EU internal market during 2020 for a number of reasons. These reasons include a lower level of trade in the first few months of the pandemic, fewer goods crossing the borders and difficulties faced by enforcement authorities in implementing controls.

Read more about the joint report here.