How much does the EU lose from counterfeit goods? - Chinese goods lead. Full customs inspection, still difficult
Officials at Liege Airport, Europe's fifth-largest cargo hub and one of the main gateways into Europe for retailers from outside the bloc, are warning that customs fraud has increased in the past year, as packages from Chinese retailers such as Shein and Temu have "invaded" the airport.
Customs fraud costs Europe more than 40 billion euros a year, according to Kristian Vanderwaeren, director general at the Belgian customs agency.
The European Union is forcing customs officials to inspect more packages and the Belgian government has provided funding for better information technology systems, but Vanderwaeren said there has been limited success in recruiting more customs officers.
Airport declarations for small packages have increased from 3.5 million per day in 2025 to 4.7 million in January 2026.
"Approximately 20% of all e-commerce coming from outside the European Union and imported into the European Union passes through Liège," he said.
While officials say it's difficult to determine an exact figure for how many packages are counterfeit, or violate customs duties, Vanderwaeren said 30% of inspections have found violations and officials have seen a sharp increase in counterfeit items since last year, with packages including everything from marijuana to Viagra pills to iPhones.
But Vanderwaeren said the amount of violations is undoubtedly much higher, with customs officials only able to check 0.006% of packages coming through the airport.
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