U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville seized 1,588 pieces of counterfeit jewelry being shipped in early April that, if genuine, would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $9.2 million.
The shipments, which arrived from Hong Kong and were destined to a residence in New York, contained 691 pairs of earrings, 522 bracelets, 197 necklaces and 178 rings. Every piece of jewelry bore the designed brand names of Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Van Cleef and Arpels and Yves St. Laurent trademarks. CBP officers suspected the jewelry to be counterfeit and detained them.
CBP officers submitted documentation and photographs to CBP’s trade experts at the Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence and Expertise for analysis. CBP’s trade experts worked with the trademark holders and verified that the products were counterfeit and subject to seizure pursuant to CBP’s statutory and regulatory authorities.
“Illicit trade in counterfeit goods can be found in all products lines and all industries, representing a significant threat to America’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of U.S. workers and, in some cases, national security and the health and safety of consumers,” said Louisville Port Director Phil Onken. “Customs and Border Protection urges you to protect your families and the U.S. economy by only purchasing authentic consumer products from reputable retailers.”
The rapid growth of e-commerce enables consumers to search for and easily purchase millions of products through online vendors, but this easy access gives counterfeit and pirated goods more ways to enter the U.S. economy.
U.S. consumers spend more than $100 billion every year that infringe on intellectual property rights, falling victim to approximately 20 percent of the counterfeits that are illegally sold worldwide. CBP launched a Truth Behind Counterfeits educational campaign to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers that can be associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods.
CBP encourages anyone with information about counterfeit merchandise being illegally imported into the United States to submit an anonymous tip to CBP’s e-Allegation Program.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection