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Japan：Customs

Enforcement Status of Intellectual Property Infringing Goods (FY2025 Announcement)

2026-03-08

According to the FY2025 import seizure results published by the Ministry of Finance, trademark-infringing goods, such as counterfeit brand products, continue to account for the vast majority of seizures. The number of seizures was 29,685 cases (92.1%), the number of seized items was 469,878 (61.5%), and the estimated value based on genuine products is approximately 18 billion JPY. For intellectual property infringing goods as a whole, an average of 87 cases and 2,091 items are intercepted at the border per day. The details are as follows (focusing on trademarks):

1. Source Countries and Transport Modes
China is the most common source country for infringing goods, accounting for 82.8% of the number of cases and 66.8% of the number of items. This is followed by Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan, with Taiwan showing a significant increase in the number of cases. Regarding transport modes, postal items account for 86.5% of cases, indicating that small-lot imports are the primary trend. On the other hand, general cargo accounts for 68.8% of the total number of items.

2. Main Seized Items and Dangerous Goods
Seized items mainly consist of clothing, bags, and footwear. In addition, seizures are being made of dangerous goods that affect health and safety, such as pharmaceuticals, automobile parts, water purifier cartridges, and electric blankets.

3. Evasion Tactics and Legal Measures
Tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, including disguise—such as hiding logos with patches or stickers—and concealment within other cargo. As of the end of 2025, there were 816 applications for import suspension, with trademark rights being the most common at 534 cases. Furthermore, local customs offices are filing criminal complaints for violations of the Customs Act regarding attempts to smuggle trademark-infringing goods.