LOUISVILLE, Ky—During the last 12 months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers in Louisville, KY have, on a nightly basis, seized counterfeit goods ranging from sunglasses to wallets and from handbags to clothing. Fiscal year 2020, which is from October 1 2019, to September 30, 2020, saw CBP officers in Louisville intercept more than $109 million worth of various counterfeit goods.
A large majority of these counterfeits came from overseas locations, as these criminals target consumers ripping them off by selling substandard, and sometimes dangerous items, at top dollar prices. Of the 741 counterfeit seizures made, 343 shipments, 46%, came from Hong Kong with an MSRP just over $79 million. In second place was China with 280 seizures and an MSRP of $13.7 million.
And some of the items that made the seized list were jewelry, footwear, bags/wallets and electronics. The most seized item was clothing, 172 seizures. If the clothing was were real, the MSRP would have been $17.9 million, however, the most expensive items seized were watches. Only 35 seizures were watches with an MSRP of $36.1 million.
“These past year’s seizures show the great job our CBP officers here in Louisville do,” said Thomas Mahn, Port Director-Louisville. “With the explosion of e-commerce and the ongoing pandemic, consumers are using e-commerce at an unprecedented rate to buy their items. Buyers need to beware because criminals are out there ready to steal your money with these counterfeit items.”
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 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.