LOUISVILLE, Ky—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville seized a shipment that contained various counterfeit items valued at more than $115,000.
On Aug 18, CBP Officers in Louisville seized the shipment that contained counterfeit Louis Vuitton hats, purses and bags. Also inside were other designer items from Gucci, Chanel, Tory Burch, Tiffany, and Michael Kors, as well as counterfeit make-up, shoes and electronics. The parcel contained 55 counterfeit items. It was arriving from Hong Kong and was destined for residence in Saginaw, Texas. If the items were real, the appraised total MSRP of the shipment was $115,862.
“Shipments like this are a major concern as it harms consumers, the U.S. economy and U.S. jobs, while funding terrorism and other crimes,” said Thomas Mahn, Port Directory, Louisville. “CBP is responsible for enforcing nearly 500 U.S. trade laws and regulations on behalf of 49 other federal agencies, and this is just another example of how CBP protects U.S. interest.”
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program. Importation of counterfeit merchandise can cause significant revenue loss, damage the U.S. economy, and threaten the health and safety of the American people.
On a typical day in 2019, CBP officers seized $4.3 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations. Learn more about what CBP did during "A Typical Day" in 2019.
CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents seized 27,599 shipments containing counterfeit goods in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, down from 33,810 seizures in FY 2018. However, the total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to over $1.5 billion from nearly $1.4 billion in FY 2018.
E-Commerce sales have contributed to large volumes of low-value packages imported into the United States. In FY 2019, there were 144 million express shipments and 463 million international mail shipments. Over 90 percent of all intellectual property seizures occur in the international mail and express environments.
The People’s Republic of China (mainland China and Hong Kong) remained the primary source economy for seized counterfeit and pirated goods, accounting for 83 percent of all IPR seizures and 92 percent of the estimated MSRP value of all IPR seizures.
Read CBP’s Intellectual Property Seizure Report for Fiscal Year 2019 for more IPR stats and analysis.
CBP conducts operations at ports of entry throughout the United States, and regularly screens arriving international passengers and cargo for narcotics, weapons, and other restricted or prohibited products. CBP strives to serve as the premier law enforcement agency enhancing the Nation’s safety, security, and prosperity through collaboration, innovation, and integration.