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Protecting Consumers in the Digital Marketplace: Customs’ Commitment and Vigilance in Combating Online Counterfeits

• The World Customs Organization (WCO) successfully held its 4th Symposium on Removing Counterfeits from E-Commerce with the generous support of Japan Customs.
• Event addresses one of the growing challenges facing today's digital economy: the proliferation of counterfeit goods through cross-border e-commerce.
• Over 150 attendees from Customs administrations, international organizations, industry representatives and other stakeholders participated in the event.

Held under the theme “Protecting Consumers in the Digital Marketplace: Customs’ Commitment and Vigilance in Combating Online Counterfeits”, the symposium highlighted the essential role of Customs in protecting consumers, safeguarding society and ensuring legitimate trade in an increasingly complex digital marketplace.

(Representatives attending the symposium)

In an opening video address to the symposium WCO Secretary General Ian Saunders underscored that “the WCO will continue to support its Members in applying proven tools for managing e-commerce and putting lessons from our coordinated operations into more regular practice. In doing so, our goal is to help them protect consumers and support legitimate trade.”

Discussions explored the need to move beyond traditional enforcement approaches and adopt more strategic, coordinated and intelligence-driven responses to online counterfeiting. The keynote address by Delphine Sarfati-Sobreira (UNIFAB) emphasized the importance of effective e-commerce enforcement strategies in protecting society against the risks posed by counterfeit goods.

Presented by the WCO’s Enforcement Policy Unit participants also learned about the WCO's Enforcement e-CENcomm Platform, a new initiative aimed at facilitating information exchange and strengthening operational cooperation among Customs administrations in tackling counterfeiting in e-commerce.

The programme further featured a panel discussion, moderated by INTERPOL with panelists from Swedish Customs, Universal Postal Union (UPU) and Ebay, on how counterfeit goods exploit cross-border e-commerce supply chains. The discussion underlined the importance of coordinated action, stronger partnerships and enhanced cooperation among Customs, law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

Throughout the symposium a key message emerged: protecting consumers in the digital marketplace requires continued Customs commitment, vigilance and collective action.

(https://www.wcoomd.org/en/media/newsroom/2026/november/protecting-consumers-in-the-digital-marketplace.aspx)