China's General Administration of Customs has gone viral with its public education campaign teaching consumers how to identify counterfeit Labubu figurines, the popular collectible toy series. The initiative, titled "Customs vs. Fake Labubu," has trended on social media after customs officials revealed a telltale sign: authentic Labubu figures have nine pointed teeth, while fakes often miss one or two due to mold imprecision.
At a State Council Information Office press conference on July 14, Deputy Commissioner Wang Lingjun shared the dental detection method with humor: "Here's a pro tip for you." He noted the public's enthusiastic response to their social media posts, quoting fan comments like "Customs' small step is collectors' giant leap" and jests that "There's only one true 'Labubu' - Customs official accounts."
The campaign highlights China's growing role in global pop culture commerce. From January to April this year, China exported RMB 13.3 billion worth of doll and animal toys, a 9.6% year-on-year increase. Since 1994, Chinese customs have intercepted over 11,000 batches of suspected counterfeit goods in 2024 alone, totaling 38.675 million items, including the knockoff Labubus that sparked online discussion.
(Reporter: Zhu Ye; English Editor: Liu Yu)
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