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The United Arab Emirates customs seized 923,724 counterfeit goods in 2020, according to a report published on Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Monday.

Combating the smuggling of counterfeit commodities and protecting Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are paramount in nationwide customs functions, Commissioner of Customs, and Chairman of the UAE Federal Customs Authority (FCA), Ali al-Neyadi said.

“The efforts by the FCA and local customs departments have protected society, consumers, trademark holders and the private sector against economic, commercial and social harms resulting from infringing IPRs and the spread of counterfeit commodities,” according to WAM.

The report said that 70.73 percent of the counterfeit goods seized were being transported by sea, while 19.51 were from air transport, and 4.88 percent were from land transport.

WAM reported that al-Neyadi lauded the efforts by local customs departments in 2020, adding that Dubai Customs’ work contributed to the removal of the UAE from the United States’ intellectual property watchlist.

Increased efforts by Dubai Customs to stop the import of fake products led to the UAE’s status being upgraded on the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Report for 2021.

Earlier this month, officials in the emirate of Ajman seized 120,000 counterfeit items of international designer brands worth $8,168,155.

The confiscated items included fake designer watches, handbags, sunglasses, clothes and accessories.

*Al Arabiya