MIAMI - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Miami seaport seized 10,788 high-fashion counterfeit Gucci and Coach handbags arriving in a shipment from China on July 15. Had the goods been genuine, the designer handbags would have an estimated Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $4,904,160.
Counterfeit handbags seized in Miami.
CBP officers initially suspected the handbags to be counterfeit since they did not appear to be of the quality consistent with the products normally authorized and manufactured by the trademark holders. CBP import specialists examined samples and confirmed the items to be counterfeit.
“Our CBP officers consistently demonstrate their exceptional skills at identifying counterfeit goods and work well with CBP import specialists to protect consumers and ensure these products do not enter the commerce of the United States,” said Miami Seaport Port Director Diane Sabatino.
China and Hong Kong were the top source countries for counterfeit goods seized by CBP in Fiscal Year 2014, based on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) seizures by both CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
On a typical day, CBP officers around the country seized counterfeit goods totaling more than $3.4 million. In Fiscal Year 2014, CBP made more than 23,000 seizures of counterfeit goods worth an estimated $1.2 billion.
CBP and HSI protect businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive
IPR enforcement program. CBP targets and seizes imports of counterfeit and pirated goods, and enforces exclusion orders on patent-infringing and other IPR violative goods.
To learn more about CBP activity in Florida, follow us on Twitter @CBPFlorida.