This study examines the potential for the misuse of Free Trade Zones (FTZs) for trade
in counterfeit and pirated goods. It presents the evolution of the FTZs and the international
legal framework in which they operate, the reasons for establishing such zones and
the benefits they offer businesses, and, finally, the role these zones play in fuelling
trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. It also analyses the links between the FTZs
and trade in counterfeit products, and provides data on these links.