#supply-chain-exploitation

#supply-chain-exploitation

Yesterday, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published the results of a joint study detailing the close connection between illicit trade in counterfeits and labor exploitation. The joint study shows clear, repeated associations between the intensity of counterfeit trade and abusive labor conditions, strongly suggesting that such conditions structurally enable the production and distribution of counterfeits.

Labubus, toothy gremlins made by the Chinese toy company Pop Mart, have become one of China's hottest cultural exports. In the first half of 2025 alone, the Monsters line of toys, which includes Labubus, generated 4.8bn yuan (511m) in sales for the Hong Kong-listed company. In August, Pop Mart's chief executive, Wang Ning, said the company was on track to reach 20bn yuan in revenues in 2025.