In 2015, EU customs intercepted 41 million fake products, up 15% on the previous year. The economic activities most damaged by the assault of counterfeit products are, together with those for body care and eyewear, those in the fashion industry. Counterfeit footwear worth €58 million, clothing products worth €48 million, bags worth €57 million and leather goods were all heading to the EU market. Equally significant numbers come from China, where between January and August, in the district of Guangdong alone, fake goods were seized worth €13 million. There is an extremely long list of counterfeit brands: Armani, Hermès, Gucci, Versace, Chanel, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Burberry among others. Agents from the office dedicated to export and import controls for the entire province, based in Guangzhou, intercepted and put an end to 64 cases of illegal operations, up 39.1% on the same period last year. Footwear and clothing alone consist of around 60% of the total of the seized articles, while handbags, wallets, leather belts and sunglasses cover about 30%.
A world of fakes: from Europe to Guangdong, seizures worth over €170 million
