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ARTICLE · 22 APRIL 2021

Counterfeit Goods In The Middle East

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According to the OECD/EUIPO report Mapping the Real Routes of Trade in Fake Goods (2017), China is the top global manufacturer of counterfeits, with India, Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, ...

GlobalIntellectual Property
Hamad Abdallah
Hamad Abdallah
Stuart Adams
Stuart Adams
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According to the OECD/EUIPO report Mapping the Real Routes of Trade in Fake Goods (2017), China is the top global manufacturer of counterfeits, with India, Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan and Vietnam also contributing to global counterfeit manufacturing. The OECD/EUIPO report also identifies several important transit points for trade in counterfeits. In particular, the Middle East is recognised as a key transhipment hub where counterfeits arrive in large quantities in containers and are sent to other countries in Africa and the EU.1

Most customs seizures statistics in the Middle East are often overexaggerated in order to generate publicity. Additionally, there are no accurate and official statistics available to the public except in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As a result, the data on the quantities seized by the Customs are subject to debate.

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