Chinese Customs Seizes Over 40,000 Counterfeit Labubu Toys Across Multiple Cities

Chinese customs authorities intercepted more than 40,000 counterfeit Labubu products across three major enforcement actions, with Gongbei Customs in Guangdong Province leading the haul after pulling 20,599 suspected fakes from outbound transshipment trucks during three separate inspections at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge checkpoint on June 12.

Beilun Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs in Zhejiang Province, added another 20,240 plush toys and plastic cups to the total, all confirmed as infringing on the Labubu Spring Elf series. Officers at Shanghai Pudong International Airport seized a further 5,961 toys that had been falsely declared on shipping paperwork as "dinosaur toy" or "plush toys" while bearing Pop Mart's trademark without authorization. The three-location count alone sums to 46,800 items; the General Administration of Customs characterized the collective figure as "over 40,000."

The Beilun seizure produced an unusually detailed item breakdown. Inspecting three batches, customs officers found 2,350 blind boxes, 4,410 plush toys, 9,400 keychains, 495 raincoats, and 1,200 combs, all bearing Pop Mart's brand logo and Labubu designs. Officers preliminarily flagged the goods as suspected IP infringement, then contacted Pop Mart directly. The rights holder confirmed the products violated relevant trademark and copyright protections, and has since formally applied for customs protection. The cases remain under further legal process.

These June 12 actions were not the opening move. Ningbo Customs had already detained nearly 200,000 goods suspected of infringing Labubu copyright in a single operation on April 23. BBC reporting separately noted that Chinese customs officials stated they had seized more than 70,000 fake dolls in just days during June alone, suggesting the enforcement surge extended well beyond the three checkpoints covered by the General Administration of Customs summary.

China's Customs Law gave authorities the legal framework to act. Exporters and agents have been reminded that all goods must be truthfully declared, including their intellectual property status, and that documentation proving legal use of trademarks or copyrighted designs may be required. Infringing goods are subject to confiscation and fines; in severe cases, criminal charges can follow.

The manufacturing pressure driving these seizures is traceable to a specific market event: the LABUBU 3.0 series launched in physical stores in April, immediately generating long queues worldwide. Supply shortages followed, with Labubus described as selling out in seconds both online and in stores. Celebrities including Rihanna and David Beckham had amplified demand by sharing Labubu content on social media. The character itself, designed by Hong Kong-born illustrator Kasing Lung, has built its following since a 2015 debut, but the 2025 surge created the conditions that made counterfeit production profitable enough to industrialize.

Enforcement extended beyond China's borders. U.S. Border Patrol agents in Seattle seized thousands of counterfeit Labubu dolls valued at more than $500,000, with photos released on August 29 showing a fake Labubu holding a Coca-Cola bottle alongside a box of additional dolls. U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted on X: "Fake Labubus are not welcome in America. Thanks for the good catch Seattle."

UK trading standards officers in Nottingham seized 66 fake Labubu items from a shop in Bulwell, and the findings went beyond trademark infringement. A spokesperson described examining the seized dolls and finding that stitching came apart easily, exposing internal filling and presenting a potential choking hazard, and that the head could be separated from the body with little effort. Nottingham City Council described the items as unsafe on those grounds. BBC also referenced separate seizures in Ayrshire, with hundreds reportedly confiscated there as well.

The counterfeit pipeline's scale underscores how thoroughly Labubu's secondary market has attracted industrial-level fraud operations, moving product through airports, bridge checkpoints, and high-street shops across multiple continents simultaneously.