The World Customs Organization (WCO) held today (25.11. 2025), the Third Symposium on the Elimination of Counterfeit Products in Electronic Commerce, a hybrid meeting that brought together more than 900 participants from customs administrations, international organizations, the private sector and academia.
In his opening speech, Gael Grooby, Director of Policy and Standards at the WCOHe highlighted the crucial role of customs in combating the growing phenomenon of counterfeiting and piracy: “The WCO and its members work hand in hand to secure trade and protect consumers and businesses from harm. Customs risk management for detecting intellectual property in products, including counterfeit medicines, has improved thanks to the valuable data collected through Operation STOP.”
Operation STOP commonly refers to operations coordinated by the WCO to combat the illegal trafficking of health-related products, such as medicines and medical supplies, especially those linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In that regard, Ms. Grooby also highlighted the importance of the digitalization To strengthen risk management and cross-border cooperation: “The digital transformation of customs operations offers unprecedented opportunities to improve targeting and strengthen international cooperation. This symposium allows for the exchange of experiences and innovative strategies to protect consumers and economies from the impacts of counterfeiting.”
The WCO's Director of Policy and Standards thanked Japan Customs; the European Union—through the European Commission (DG TAXUD)—; Europol, the Guardia di Finanza, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), INTERPOL, and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF); as well as the RILO Network and the private sector, including rights holders and online platforms, for their commitment and collaboration. “Their support was key to the success of Operation STOP and demonstrates the value of international cooperation in the fight against counterfeiting,” she said.
Then Schoich Sudo, Director of Technical Cooperation at the Customs and Anti-Terrorism Office of the Ministry of Finance of JapanHe highlighted the importance of joint work: “It is essential that collaboration between the public and private sectors be effective for the efficient enforcement against goods that infringe intellectual property, especially counterfeit products through e-commerce. I hope this symposium will contribute to raising awareness of these threats and strengthening global cooperation.”
Mr. Sudo further emphasized the ongoing commitment to addressing the expansion of e-commerce: “Every stakeholder is making constant efforts to improve the situation regarding the import and export of counterfeit goods. However, the number of cases of counterfeit medical products sold online remains high, posing a threat to public health and safety.”
Next, the Ms. Maoyon Janssen, Director of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate, delivered the keynote address entitled “Digital commerce, real threats and the use of data to dismantle counterfeiting networks in e-commerce”.
Janssen highlighted how digitalization has transformed global trade, generating opportunities for growth, inclusion, and innovation, but also facilitating new avenues for illicit trade and counterfeiting. She emphasized that counterfeit goods are not victimless products, as they jeopardize health and safety and foster corruption and organized crime.
He pointed out that international cooperation, the effective use of data, the technical training And the active participation of the private sector is fundamental to protecting digital commerce and combating illicit networks in a coordinated manner. He also emphasized the need for governance systems that can adapt to the speed and sophistication of these networks.
Janssen concluded by emphasizing that the global fight against illicit trade requires a joint and coordinated effort between tax, customs, health and environmental authorities, together with the private sector“No single organization can meet this challenge alone; the response must be global, based on rules and shared responsibilities. Our goal is clear: to protect trade as an engine of prosperity, to support small businesses without facilitating criminal exploitation, and to develop governance systems that match the sophistication and speed of illicit networks.”
The findings were presented during the symposium. main findings of the Operation STOP IV report, which continues the work begun in the previous meetings of June 11, 2024 and January 15, 2025. The organizers emphasized that The full results will be published soon., with the aim of raising awareness in society about the risks of the trade in counterfeit products and the importance of safe and responsible e-commerce.
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