LHASA, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities in China's Tibet Autonomous Region blocked the export of 48,000 items of goods, suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR), in 2021, up 6.4 times year on year.

The value of the seized goods stood at 1.7 million yuan (about 274,000 U.S. dollars), a three times increase from the previous year, the Lhasa customs said.

Customs authorities have intensified clampdown on imports and exports suspected of IPR infringements as part of a nationwide campaign against such illegal activities since 2017.

Authorities have utilized advanced equipment in the crackdown, raised local enterprises' awareness of IPR protection, and collaborated with other government departments in the process to optimize Tibet's business environment.