U.S. Customs and Border Protection Intercepts More than $11.4 Million Worth of Counterfeit Wearing Apparel and Handbags
(Monday, December 12, 2005)
Washington, DC — U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than $11.4 million worth of wearing apparel and handbags from various Ports of Entry across the country including New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Miami during the month of November prior to the kickoff of the holiday shopping season.
CBP Officers and Import Specialists seized more than $9.2 million worth of counterfeit handbags bearing the trademarks of Louis Vuitton, Coach, Burberry and Fendi coming into the United States from China. In addition, significant shipments of wearing apparel were seized including more than $2.2 million worth of items such as men’s T-shirts, men’s polo-shirts, knit pants and counterfeit sports shoes bearing the Nike trademark.
Wearing apparel and handbags, wallets and backpacks are among the top commodities seized for intellectual property violations. In FY 2005, more than $31 million worth of wearing apparel and handbags, wallets and backpacks were seized accounting for 33% of all seized goods for intellectual property violations. In all, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 8,022 seizures of goods for intellectual property right violations with a domestic value of more than $93 million in FY 2005. This year, CBP donated more than $20 million worth of seized wearing apparel, towels, pillows and other items to Hurricane Katrina victims.
“Counterfeit products not only defraud companies that work hard to develop the genuine products, but also unsuspecting consumers who think they are purchasing legitimate items but actually may be purchasing something substandard”, said Vera Adams, Executive Director, Trade Enforcement and Facilitation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
It is estimated that the U.S. economy loses $200 to $250 billion each year in lost profits and revenue from counterfeit goods.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the border agency within the Department of Homeland Security whose primary mission is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering our Nation. CBP is charged with securing and managing America’s borders at and between the official ports of entry while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
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