The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its latest Trading Standards Survey report, setting out a picture of the IP crime issues local Trading Standards teams are investigating and observing on the frontline.
Dangerous counterfeit toys are now a more visible enforcement concern, with 67% of responding local authorities reporting investigations.
The annual survey covers April 2025 to March 2026 and received responses from 142 of 189 local authorities.
Responses provide valuable frontline insights from local Trading Standards teams about how counterfeit goods are reaching communities across the UK. In turn, this helps build a clearer picture of a criminal threat that operates locally, nationally and globally. These insights help inform wider enforcement action to disrupt the illegal trade in counterfeits, helping to protect consumers, local businesses and high streets.
Responses this year show that cigarettes and tobacco remain the most commonly investigated counterfeit goods, reported by 89% of responding local authorities, followed by clothing at 69% and toys at 67%.
This year’s report also underlines how counterfeit goods support a wider criminal economy. Sixty-four percent of responding local authorities observed links during investigations between counterfeiting and organised crime groups — around a third higher than last year. Trading Standards teams also continue to report links between people committing IP crimes and other forms of criminality including money laundering, people trafficking/modern slavery, and drug dealing.
Andy Cooke-Welling, the IPO’s Director of Enforcement, said:
Trading Standards officers are on the frontline of tackling IP crime, seizing unsafe goods, disrupting counterfeiters, and protecting consumers, businesses and communities across the UK. This year’s survey shows growing links to serious and organised crime and the groups which enable this, underlining that counterfeit goods are anything but harmless bargains. They not only put people at risk, but form part of a wider criminal threat.
Counterfeit toys are clearly a growing concern, with more than two in three respondents reporting investigations. Our Fake Toys, Real Harms campaign — amplified by sustained national media attention around counterfeit Labubu dolls — has put this firmly in the public eye and sharpened awareness among consumers, industry and law enforcement bodies. Working alongside our partners, we remain focused on stopping dangerous counterfeits reaching communities, and disrupting the criminal networks behind them.
The IPO continues to work with partners across law enforcement, government and industry to help turn frontline intelligence into targeted action. This approach helps prevent harmful counterfeit goods reaching homes, high streets and communities, while raising wider awareness and understanding of the risks they pose. It is a shared effort to help keep communities safe, support legitimate businesses and make it harder for criminal groups to profit from IP crime.
