According to the representative of the Department of Development and International Cooperation of the Patent Office Ella Petermane, 70% of uncovered forgery cases in Latvia concerned child toys.
The Patent Office invites parents to attend Be original – choose the original! campaign to avoid putting their children’s heath and even life at risk.
In 2022 customs officials of the State Revenue Service (VID)
uncovered 27 379 units of fake goods. 70% of them or 19 171 were child toys.
VID Customs Office notes that the majority of fake toys come from China. For example, in just two sea containers VID customs officials found 18 762 units of forgeries.
The most commonly found forgeries were various constructor sets, car models, dolls, children’s toy riding gear, such as tricycles and other goods.
“Production of forgeries, including toys, often includes the use of harmful ingredients that can create risks for children’s health,” says Patent Office’s board director Agris Batalauskis.
In Q1 VID Customs Office performed various control activities. 47 shipments were intercepted and 3 377 forgeries were confiscated. Information compiled by VID Customs Office indicates that most often customs officials uncover counterfeit perfume products, bicycle equipment, video game controllers, mobile phones and their accessories, clothing, bags, watches, footwear and other goods.
“Often it is difficult to tell originals from forgeries at first glance.
This is especially true when it comes to analysing chemical composition – particularly phthalics, as their presence is not obvious or immediately felt,” explains director of Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) Baiba Vītoliņa.
She stresses that phthalics are mainly used to make plastic products softer and more flexible.
“Consequences from coming into contact with this chemical leave negative effects on children’s hormonal and reproductive system and appear only after 20 years or so. This is why it is important for manufacturers to have a trustworthy reputation and the manufacturing process respects all safety and quality standards. There is a very high risk of manufacturers of forgeries ignoring both safety and quality standards,” said Vītoliņa.
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