Growing counterfeit industry, tobacco products and logos made in Italy lead in seizures

More tariffs, more smuggling. The higher the tariffs - which in the Trumpian timetable should be triggered on 9 July - the more crowded the routes to circumvent them will become and the more counterfeit goods will be in circulation. Already a lot, even in new sectors.

Analysts say so, history reminds us. An even greater warning when the counterfeit industry is already thriving in sectors that are traded across the Atlantic, as the Guardia di Finanza seizures of the past 17 months show.

Cartridges, filters and all tobacco components are the most requisitioned counterfeit goods, almost 522 million pieces (in 2023, 596 tonnes of foreign processed tobacco alone were seized, 649 the year before). This is followed by labels, logos and packaging (around 283 million), to pass off as made in Italy or branded an authentic knock-off. It happens with high fashion, leather goods or accessories (almost 6 million pieces seized), not counting buttons and buckles. And if in large quantities (more than 22 million pieces) were taken away toys that, for example, only had misleading Disney references, the seals were also triggered for products destined for personal care (1 million pieces) and the extensive beauty sector, including perfumes. Fake luxury watches and genuine fake prints and lithographs were sold. And if the Scudetto to Napoli has triggered the production of unauthorised gadgets, thousands of rosaries destined for Jubilee pilgrims have also been seized, because the fake industry's only religion is to seize the moment, as mafias have always done and as they prepare to do in the event of tariffs. Favouring both fraud and customs fraud and the circulation of counterfeit goods. Historical business of the Camorra.

From 1 January 2024 to 31 May 2025, over 862 million counterfeit products were seized by the various GdF departments. That jumps to 1.5 billion, considering also the seals to protect the made in Italy or for violation of EU safety regulations, faces of the same offence: 6,064 the reports to the Public Prosecutor's Office (4,329 reported for production, assembly or sale of counterfeit goods). More than the 1 billion products seized in four years, 2012-2016. But 2,799 were the charges against buyers who were aware of the origin of the product, despite the tightening of penalties up to 7,000 euro.

Huge numbers that become damage to the economy. According to the Abstract Intellectual Property Elaborated Report of the Investigation on Counterfeiting (IPERICO) 2024 of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the value of counterfeit products seized in 2023 was EUR 187.9 million. And the European Intellectual Property Office, Euipo, in its Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025 calculates the counterfeit trade in 2021 at 467 billion dollars (2.3% of the world trade) and the value of fakes brought into the EU at 117 billion euros (4.7% of total imports). A loss in terms of lost wealth, lower tax revenues and lost jobs.