London, UK: September 12, 2025 – Counterfeit goods valued at roughly USD 117 billion entered the European Union in 2021, equal to 4.7% of the bloc's imports, according to the OECD and EUIPO's 2025 report. The global share is lower, at 2.3% of world imports, which shows how heavily the European market is targeted.
For a brand, the damage goes beyond the sale that went elsewhere. Fakes lower perceived quality, push down prices in the same marketplaces where genuine goods are sold and generate returns and complaints that fall on the real company.
As online platforms have become the main channel for counterfeit sellers, the cost of enforcement has moved from customs seizures to continuous monitoring of listings, ads and seller accounts.
“The brands that measure the effect on genuine sales see the case for investment very clearly. The question we get most often is not whether to act, but how to prove what the action returned,” says Daniel Hartley, Chief Revenue Officer at MarkScout.