Morocco among leading sources of counterfeit cosmetics, says OECD-EU report

Morocco is among the world’s top sources of counterfeit cosmetics, alongside China, according to a newly released report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The 2025 report, based on customs data from 2021 and 2022, estimates that counterfeit goods accounted for approximately $467 billion in global trade in 2021—about 2.3 percent of all international trade.

The study highlights a rising global trend in fake goods trafficking, with increasingly sophisticated distribution methods making enforcement more difficult.

The European Union, in particular, is bearing the brunt of this illicit trade. Counterfeit items make up 4.7 percent of EU imports, with the fashion industry hardest hit—clothing, footwear, and leather goods collectively representing over 60 percent of customs seizures.

However, the report warns that counterfeit threats go far beyond designer knock-offs. Items such as fake cosmetics, car parts, food, toys, and pharmaceuticals pose serious health and safety risks to consumers. Many of these are sold online and shipped in small parcels to evade customs scrutiny.

Morocco was specifically named as one of the key non-EU economies exporting counterfeit goods into Europe. These products often move through complex supply chains, free trade zones, and online platforms, making detection and enforcement challenging.

The report calls for enhanced coordination between customs agencies, law enforcement, market surveillance bodies, and financial intelligence units. It also urges closer collaboration with logistics companies to disrupt traffickers’ use of small parcel shipping and low-risk delivery channels.

Counterfeiters are becoming faster and more adaptive, the report adds. They quickly manufacture fake versions of trending products, push them through digital marketplaces, and deliver them using unmonitored shipping methods. In fact, about 65 percent of seized counterfeit items were discovered in small packages.