LOUISVILLE, Ky— U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville seized a large shipment carrying various counterfeit items on Feb 11. The shipment contained 1,569 counterfeit items, and were destined to an address in Plymouth, Minnesota. Had the items been real they would have had a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $821,495.
The CBP officers detained the shipment to determine the admissibility of its contents in accordance with CBP regulations. Officers uncovered a trove of various high end items. Everything from hair clips, to necklaces, to bracelets, to masks were found, and all of them displayed the protected trademark emblems of designers like Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, and even Mickey Mouse.
Sold in underground outlets and on third party e-commerce websites, counterfeit commodities fund smugglers and members of organized crime. Consumers often believe they are buying a genuine product but soon realize the item is substandard and potentially dangerous.
“Finding a parcel containing almost 1,600 items of counterfeit apparel is shocking, as criminals continue to push their agenda,” said Thomas Mahn, Port Director-Louisville. “Our officers did an outstanding job finding these counterfeit items before they flooded the market. Items like these weaken our economy and prey on American consumers.”
CBP Trade protects the intellectual property rights of American businesses through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights enforcement program, safeguarding them from unfair competition and use for malicious intent while upholding American innovation and ingenuity. Suspected violations can be reported to CBP here.
Every year, CBP seizes millions of counterfeit goods from countries around the world as part of its mission to protect U.S. businesses and consumers. These goods include fake versions of popular products, such as smartphones and related accessories, electronics, apparel, shoes, cosmetics, and high-end luxury goods, as well as goods posing significant health and safety concerns, such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals, bicycle and motorcycle helmets, medical devices, supplements and other consumables. Sold online and in stores, counterfeit goods hurt the U.S. economy, cost Americans their jobs, threaten consumer health and safety, and fund criminal activity. Visit the National IPR Coordination Center for more information about IPR including counterfeiting and piracy.
Nationwide in Fiscal Year 2020, CBP seized 26,503 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. The total estimated value of the seized goods, had they been genuine, was nearly $1.3 billion. CBP has established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers that are often associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods. Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign can be found at https://www.cbp.gov/FakeGoodsRealDangers.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.