Morocco flagged for unusual imports of fake cosmetics from China
Morocco has been listed among the top 30 source economies for trade in counterfeit goods in 2020, according to a recent joint report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The study, titled Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025: Global Trends and Enforcement Challenges, ranks Morocco 24th based on the number and value of counterfeit goods seized that year—well behind major hubs like China, Hong Kong, Türkiye, and Lebanon. Morocco's share represents less than 2% of global seizures by volume and value.
The report highlights Morocco as an unusual recipient of counterfeit cosmetic products from China, placing the two countries in the top 15 provenance-destination pairs for fake cosmetics between 2020 and 2021. Morocco appears 10th on that list, while China-EU tops the ranking.
When it comes to counterfeit goods entering the European Union, Morocco is again listed as one of the top source countries, ranked 24th out of 25 economies. China leads the list in both number of seizures and total value of fake goods.
In terms of Morocco's risk profile, the country's GTRIC-e score—a metric that estimates the likelihood of exported goods being counterfeit—is between 0.15 and 0.25 for clothing and footwear. This places Morocco in the second quartile globally, comparable to countries like India and Colombia, and less risky than Lebanon or Bahrain. A score closer to 1 indicates a higher presence of counterfeits in exports.
Overall, the report estimates the global trade in counterfeit goods reached USD 467 billion in 2021. Sectors like clothing, footwear, and leather products were the most affected, making up 62% of all counterfeit goods seized worldwide.
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