Counterfeit cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, and apparel top customs seizures in 2025

　The Customs Administration under the Ministry of Finance released statistics indicating that the Taiwan customs authorities had uncovered a total of 430 cases of intellectual property right infringement throughout 2025, which involved 4.92 million infringing items and an estimated market value over TWD900 million.  This demonstrates the Taiwan customs’ determination to combat illegal activities and protect a fair market.  

　The top three categories of counterfeit goods seized in 2025 were cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, and apparel.  With the popularity of cross-border e-commerce and international parcel services, illicit operators mostly smuggled counterfeit goods into the country through sea and air express shipments or by concealing them in cargo containers.  The customs authorities have designated counterfeit cigarettes and pharmaceuticals, which pose risks to public health, as the key targets of border control measures, so as to prevent substandard and inferior counterfeit goods from entering the domestic market.  

　To implement the policy, “Keep Counterfeits Out at the Border”, the customs authorities of Taiwan had been improving their enforcement measures and capabilities in 2025.  In addition to using big data and AI analysis to identify high-risk traders and countries of origin, the customs authorities also work with well-known domestic and international brand owners, holding training sessions to strengthen frontline customs officers’ expertise in distinguishing genuine products from counterfeits.  Through public-private collaboration, the customs authorities aim to further enhance the effectiveness of anti-counterfeit enforcement.  (Released 2026.04.15)  
/CCS