2026/04/15 17:16:11 Economic Daily News
[Reporter Chiu Tsung-hao / Taipei]
According to statistics from the Customs Administration under the Ministry of Finance, customs authorities intercepted 430 intellectual property rights infringement cases last year, seizing 4.92 million counterfeit items with an estimated infringing market value exceeding NT$900 million. The most commonly seized counterfeit goods were counterfeit cigarettes, medicines, and clothing. Most notably, Taipei Customs even seized counterfeit NVIDIA chips last May—proof that even counterfeit goods are riding the AI wave.
Carrying out border controls to protect intellectual property rights has long been a key focus of customs enforcement. The Customs Administration said that, as cross-border e-commerce and international parcels have become increasingly common, illegal operators have often smuggled counterfeit goods into the country via sea freight, air freight express delivery, or concealment in containers, attempting to evade inspection by customs officers. In addition to high-value items such as branded apparel and leather goods, counterfeit cigarettes and medicines also frequently attempt to pass through customs. These goods pose a serious risk to public health and have always been a top priority for border enforcement, as customs works to prevent substandard counterfeit products from entering the domestic market.
Statistics show that customs authorities handled 430 intellectual property rights infringement cases last year, seizing 4.92 million counterfeit items with an estimated infringing market value of more than NT$900 million. The most common counterfeit goods seized were counterfeit cigarettes, medicines, and clothing.
To implement its policy of keeping counterfeits out at the border, customs continued to enhance its enforcement methods last year. In addition to using big data and artificial intelligence to analyze high-risk vendors and source countries, it also actively collaborated with well-known domestic and international brand rights holders to hold eight seminars on distinguishing genuine and fake products, strengthening the professional capabilities of frontline officers. Through public-private cooperation, customs aims to expand its counterfeit enforcement results, and the outcomes are already clearly reflected in the data.
The Customs Administration urged that exporting or importing counterfeit goods not only harms the lawful interests of rights holders, but may also lead to criminal liability. It also reminded consumers to choose reputable e-commerce platforms when shopping online and to avoid purchasing products with unclear origins or suspiciously low prices, so as not to damage their own rights and interests. Customs will continue to strengthen coordination with law enforcement agencies and enhance border enforcement through intelligence sharing, while calling on the public to respect intellectual property rights and jointly safeguard a safe consumer environment.