According to data published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 81 percent of counterfeit merchandise seized in the U.S. in 2005 came from China. China is the largest source of counterfeit goods, most of which are shoes, clothes, handbags and computer products.
Investigation results recently published by the Executive Committee of the European Union shows that two thirds of the counterfeit merchandise seized at European Union borders came also from China. Last November, German customs in the port of Hamburg uncovered the largest counterfeiting ring in the world and confiscated 117 cargo containers of counterfeit goods worth about $517 million, and much of the cargo came from China.