This was revealed during a visit of the customs authorities’ offices in Bettembourg by Minister for Consumer Protection Paulette Lenert and Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna. Over 90% of these counterfeits were found during checks at the airport, mainly at the cargo centre, while postal traffic accounted for the rest. Nearly all the counterfeit items came from Asia.
85% of counterfeits, which are mainly luxury items but also include industrial and pharmaceutical products as well as cigarettes and clothing, are destroyed following their seizure.
Paulette Lenert, Minister for Consumer Protection, stressed that it is important to “make people aware that by buying counterfeit products they are destroying jobs at the brand manufacturers”. Worse still, when it comes to medicines or technical devices, “they put themselves and others at risk”. That is why, Lenert continued, her Ministry wants to highlight the importance of “responsible purchasing behaviour”.
The fight against the import of counterfeit products is one of the many tasks of the Customs and Excise Agency (ADA). Through risk management in connection with the import, export, and transit of goods, the ADA also contributes indirectly to consumer protection at the external border.
