Recently, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) actively participated in World Intellectual Property Day initiatives by releasing the 2024 China Customs Intellectual Property Protection Report. This comprehensive report demonstrates China Customs' proactive stance on IP protection through substantive data and case analyses. Key highlights include:

30th Anniversary of IP Enforcement

2024 marked three decades of dedicated IP protection efforts by China Customs. Aligned with central government directives, nationwide customs authorities have intensified enforcement measures.

Operational Statistics

• Enforcement Actions: 53,200 IP protection measures implemented.
• Goods Detained: 41,600 shipments containing 81.6 million suspected infringing items seized.
• Global Participation: Rights holders from 58 countries/regions utilized China's customs protection mechanisms.

Growing Rights Holder Engagement

• Recordal Registrations: 4,836 rights holders applied for customs IP protection recordals, with 4,516 approved (11.4% YoY increase).
• Agent Registrations: 964 agent applications processed (22.34% YoY growth).
• IP Recordal Applications: 29,541 filings received (approaching 30,000 for the first time), with 21,614 approvals (24.19% YoY rise).
• General Guarantee Applications: 141 applications accepted (12.8% YoY increase).

Enforcement Focus Areas

1. IP Categories

Trademarks: Dominated enforcement efforts with 41,300 shipments (99.5% of total) and 76.39 million items (93.57%) seized.

Patents & Copyrights: Significant YoY growth observed:

• Patents: 249,000 items seized (+71.33%)
• Copyrights: 4.995 million items seized (+393.61%)

2. Operational Channels

• Export Focus: 41,200 shipments (99.17%) containing 80.33 million items (98.41%) seized at export. Import seizures declined by 34.16% in batches and 26.52% in volume.
• Ex Officio Enforcement: 3,627 shipments (97.16%) with 65.14 million items (97.81%) seized through proactive measures.
• Application-Based Actions: 144,350 items seized via rights holder requests (+500% YoY).

3. Emerging Sectors

• E-commerce: Cross-border platforms saw 25,300 shipments (37.5% of total) with 20.27 million items seized.
• Market Procurement: 1,207 shipments (32.33% of cargo channel seizures) containing 25.54 million items (38.35%) seized.

Regional Enforcement Patterns

• Coastal Hubs: Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Ningbo accounted for 76% of batches (31,600) and 98% of volume (80.24 million items).
• Border Regions: Urumqi, Nanning, Kunming, and Harbin intercepted 1,151 shipments (861,800 items).
• Inland Growth: Central/western customs (Chengdu, Xi'an, Nanchang) saw 8,800 batches seized. Shijiazhuang, Nanchang, and Hefei recorded 200%+ batch increases, while Chongqing and Taiyuan achieved substantial volume growth.

Commodity Trends

• Top Categories by Batches: Apparel/footwear (21,600), electronics (5,500), leather goods (4,800).
• Volume Leaders: Electronics (27.97 million), sports equipment (11.07 million), tobacco products (4.46 million).

Strategic Initiatives

China Customs intensified enforcement through specialized campaigns:

• Operation “Dragon”: Targeting high-risk shipping routes
• Operation “Blue Net”: Combating infringement in delivery channels
• Operation “Clean Net”: Addressing the risk of infringement of export transit goods

Foreign Enterprise Support

The report also highlights that safeguarding the rights of foreign enterprises is a key focus for China customs. China customs actively responds to the rights protection demands of foreign enterprises, effectively handling various infringement sightings, and robustly protecting IP rights. This enhances the confidence of enterprises investing in China.

Our analysis of the report reveals that through a series of effective measures, Chinese customs assists global enterprises in strengthening intellectual property protection, creating a safer, more open, and more convenient trade environment.

Conclusion

Through systematic enforcement and global cooperation, China Customs continues to fortify its role as a critical guardian of IP rights, fostering secure and predictable trade conditions.

As a long-standing agency specializing in border IP protection, Chang Tsi will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with customs across the country, assisting our clients in achieving even greater success in border protection.