Imitation Nation Episode 16: The end of de minimis

In this episode of Imitation Nation, hosts Shabbir Imber Safdar and Sven Bergmann break down one of the biggest trade shifts of 2025: the imminent and likely permanent end of the de minimis. With more than 1.3 billion packages entering the U.S. last year under this exemption, it’s about to get a lot harder for counterfeit goods to hide in the pile. But what does this change mean for brands, shippers, consumers and law enforcement? We discuss what it is, why it’s ending, how it might make your online shopping a little more expensive and what this means to illicit trade and counterfeit.

We are also covering a plethora of counterfeit stories from across the world in our lighting round, including:

• The conviction of a man in Liverpool to 28 months in prison for selling £650,000 in fake postage stamps.

• Formula One cracks down on counterfeits at Vegas GP, suing souvenir shops for selling knockoff merch.

• Europol seizes a massive shipment of counterfeit currency—$76 million worth of fake dollars, euros, and pounds.

• BMW adds new security features to protect auto parts, and Mercedes is stepping up its anti-counterfeit fight too.

• U.S. regulators warn about fake Labubu dolls breaking apart and becoming a choking hazard.

• Seagate busts a counterfeiting ring in Malaysia that was flipping old hard drives as “new.”