Health, electronics, home: what is stopped at European customs and and where it comes from

Almost seven out of ten “waste” products come from China. Last year, 67.9% of products blocked at EU borders due to non-compliance or serious risk originated from China. This number is down from the peak of 74.9% in 2024, but still well above 2022-2023 levels, when the share stood at 57-58%.

Read more Via the Made in Italy superconducting cable to power data centers

In second place are the United States, which fell to 5.4%, far from the 13-14% of the previous two-year period. Then the United Kingdom, also in decline: from 8.3% in 2022 to 6.1% today. This is the geography of products that do not get approval at European customs and which is presented in detail in the latest report from the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union of the European Commission.

The most interesting data, however, is below the surface. In 2025, Hong Kong, at 3.25%, and South Korea, at 3.86%, return among the top origins. India, on the other hand, disappears, which in 2023 and 2024 accounted for 5.98% and 2.71% of waste respectively and today no longer appears among the main origins. Turkey is also out of the picture, present in 2022 and never returned to the top.

Read more Hunger in the world is decreasing: but Africa surpasses Asia

On the product front, health remains the most affected category. For the fourth year in a row. More than 27 thousand rejections in 2025, almost five times the 6,736 in 2022. This includes medical devices, medical protective devices, cosmetics, tobacco products.

In second place, electronics rises, with 11,773 rejections: for the first time it surpasses the home and furniture category, which stands at 9,237. A clear reversal compared to 2024, when home and furniture occupied second place with 14,505 rejections. Children and infancy are more stable, at 3,708, and other manufactured products, at 3,220.

Read more Clashes in Bologna, Meloni: unacceptable violence against Law Enforcement