Counterfeiting, Piracy and the Swiss Economy 2025

2.  Overview of global counterfeiting and the Swiss economy

2.1. Where do fake Swiss products originate?

The majority of counterfeit goods infringing Swiss intellectual property rights (IPR) from 2020-21 originated from the People’s Republic of China (hereafter “China) and Hong Kong (China), which together accounted for 82% of the total value of seizures and 63% of the number of seizure cases (Figure 2.1). These two economies were followed by the Netherlands and Türkiye. In total, counterfeit goods infringing Swiss IPR can be traced to 75 different provenance economies, underscoring the global reach of illicit trade. A significant portion of these are Asian economies, reflecting the complex and diffuse supply chains used by counterfeiters.

Compared to the 2017–19 period, when China and Hong Kong (China) already dominated as the main provenance economies of counterfeit products violating Swiss IPR, their share has further increased in 2020–21—particularly in terms of seized value—highlighting the continued and growing importance of these economies in the global counterfeiting landscape

Figure 2.1. Top provenance economies of fake goods infringing Swiss IP, 2020-21

Source: OECD customs seizures database.

2.2. What are the most targeted product categories?

Watches are the most targeted Swiss product category, accounting for 87% of all global seizures of counterfeit goods infringing Swiss IPR in 2020–2021. This highlights the continued vulnerability of Switzerland’s iconic watchmaking industry to brand abuse, illicit copying, and reputational damage. The scale and consistency of targeting in this sector reflects both the prestige and global market value of Swiss watches.

While watches dominate the landscape, other Swiss product categories are increasingly affected by counterfeiting. As shown in Figure 2.2, counterfeiters have targeted jewellery, leather goods, ready-to-wear clothing, and electronic devices. The presence of counterfeit packaging materials further illustrates the sophistication of illicit networks and their efforts to disguise fake goods. The analysis also points to a growing presence of seizures involving new product categories, such as furniture—an item not significantly impacted in previous years. Compared to 2017–2019, the 2020–2021 period shows an increase in seizures of electronic products and a decline in counterfeit machinery, indicating evolving trends that warrant continued monitoring (OECD, 2021[4]).

Figure 2.2. Top Swiss product categories targeted by counterfeiting, excluding watches, 2020-21

Note: For visual clarity, the watch sector has been excluded from the chart to allow for a better appreciation of the relative shares of other sectors in customs seizures of counterfeit products infringing Swiss IPR.

As mentioned above in the previous paragraph, watches remain the most frequently seized products infringing Swiss IPR, accounting for 87% of total seizures and 94% of the total seized value

Source: OECD customs seizures database.

2.3. How are fake Swiss goods exported?

Figure 2.3 highlights that counterfeit goods infringing Swiss brands were primarily shipped by mail, which accounted for 75% of all customs seizures in 2020–2021. This was followed by air (16%) and road transport (5%). The dominance of postal shipments reflects the rise of e-commerce and the widespread use of small packages to evade detection, reduce interception risk, and fragment supply chains.

Indeed, trade in counterfeit goods infringing Swiss IPRs is increasingly characterised by small consignments. Nearly three-quarters of seizures involved shipments containing only a single item, with 90% including fewer than six items. This trend mirrors consumer purchasing behaviour through online platforms and highlights the challenges faced by enforcement agencies as smaller shipments are more difficult to detect.

Figure 2.3. Transport modes of counterfeit products infringing Swiss IPR, 2021-21

In terms of number of seizures

Note: This figure does not include seizures made by US customs

Source: OECD customs seizures database.

Figure 2.4. Shipment size of counterfeit goods infringing Swiss IPR, 2020-21

As a share of number of customs seizures

Source: OECD customs seizures database.

2.4. The value of trade in fakes infringing Swiss IPR

This section aims to assess the scale of trade in counterfeit goods infringing Swiss intellectual property rights (IPR). The estimate is based on the internally developed GTRIC methodology, the details of which can be found in Annex of (OECD, 2021[4])

In 2021, the estimated value of global trade in counterfeit goods infringing Swiss intellectual property rights amounted to USD 4.7 billion—equivalent to 1.3% of total Swiss exports that year. This marks a sharp increase from 2020, when the value was estimated at USD 1.4 billion. A similar trend was observed in the United Kingdom (Stryszowski, 2024[5]), where the value of counterfeit imports declined sharply in 2020, falling to below USD 1.3 billion, before rebounding in 2021 to pre-pandemic levels of approximately USD 9.5 billion. This surge reflects a post-pandemic rebound in illicit activity and a shift in demand for counterfeit COVID-related products, such as PPE, test kits, and medicines. The pandemic also accelerated a transition towards e-commerce, creating new enforcement challenges (OECD/EUIPO, 2024[6]).

Figure 2.5. Estimated value of global trade in counterfeit products infringing Swiss IPR, 2017-21

Value of fakes in USD mn

Figure 2.6 shows that the Swiss watch industry remained the most heavily affected sector in absolute terms. In 2021, the estimated value of fake watches and jewellery infringing Swiss brands was USD 2.52 billion, more than half the total estimated value of counterfeit goods infringing Swiss IPR. This underscores the centrality of watchmaking as both an economic pillar and a counterfeiting target.

While watches top the list in absolute terms, the apparel and leather goods sector was the most affected when measured relative to total exports. In 2021, counterfeit goods in this sector equalled 6.1% of total exports. The furniture sector followed with 5.6%, and electronics and telecommunications with 4.5%. These figures reveal that the broad vulnerability of high-value Swiss sectors to counterfeiting goes beyond the luxury sectors.

Figure 2.6. Estimated value of global trade in counterfeit products infringing Swiss IPR by sector, 2020-21

In USD million and share of Swiss exports