Misuse of Small Parcels for Trade in Counterfeit Goods
Facts and Trends
This study examines the potential for the misuse of small parcels for trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. It presents the legal and economic contexts of the operation of express and postal services. It also looks at the available data on volumes of small consignments, via postal and courier streams, in the context of seizures of counterfeit and pirated goods. Furthermore it analyses the links between the observed dynamics in markets for small parcels and the available information on misuse of this service by traffickers in counterfeit and pirated goods.
Small shipments and counterfeits: Ever greater challenges
Small parcels can be transported cross-border via sea, road, rail and/or air. These movements can be carried out by individuals or a range of companies that handle freight. Two of the more important parties involved are national postal authorities and express and courier services, which together account for most of the movement of small shipments.