EU Customs Crackdown Seizes Textile Shipments Diverted To Grey Market
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), in coordination with Polish and Spanish customs authorities, has seized multiple containers of textiles suspected of being illegally diverted into the European Union’s grey market instead of being exported to Africa as declared.
The operation targeted trade flows originating from China and routed through a rail corridor entering the EU via Poland, with the declared final destination being African markets through Spanish ports. Investigators suspect that the goods were diverted within the EU to avoid applicable customs duties.
Textile products in the EU are subject to relatively high import duties, designed to protect domestic manufacturers and ensure fair competition, while also generating revenue for public budgets. To manage transit flows, the EU uses a customs transit system that allows goods to move through the bloc duty-free only if they are properly recorded and exported outside EU territory.
As part of the enforcement action, Polish customs authorities seized three containers containing nearly 70 tonnes of textiles.
OLAF officials said the case highlights how misuse of transit procedures can distort competition, reduce public revenue, and disadvantage compliant businesses across the textile supply chain.
Authorities added that close cross-border coordination between OLAF and national customs agencies remains critical to safeguarding EU trade integrity and ensuring compliance with customs regulations.
