Louisville CBP snags parcels with $6 million in counterfeit watches

LOUISVILLE, Ky—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville seized two shipments from Hong Kong the night of Oct. 28. The shipments contained a total of 53 counterfeit watches. Had these goods been genuine, the two shipments would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $6.6 million. Both shipments were inspected by officers and subsequently seized for bearing unauthorized versions of Richard Mille, Rolex, Hublot, Cartier, Swarovski, G-Shock, and Patek Philippe trademarks. The items were deemed to bear counterfeit marks by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts. The shipments were addressed to residences in Union City, Georgia and Doral, Florida. The items have been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further inspection. For the last three years, the top commodities seized for Intellectual Property Rights infringement with the highest total MSRP have been (1) Jewelry, (2) Watches, and (3) Handbags/Wallets. Additionally, China and Hong Kong are consistently the top two source countries for IPR seizures. In Fiscal Year 2024, seizures from China and Hong Kong accounted for approximately 90% of the total quantity seized. “Intellectual property theft threatens America’s economic vitality and funds criminal activities and organized crime,” said Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke. “When consumers purchase counterfeit goods, legitimate companies lose revenue, which can force those companies to cut jobs. Our officers are dedicated to protecting private industry and consumers by removing these kinds of shipments from our commerce.” Intellectual property theft is not a victimless crime. Victims are American consumers, businesses, trademark holders, and people who manufacture and sell legitimate products. Often, the illicit proceeds resulting from the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products are funneled back to support a broad range of illegal crimes. Criminals sell pirated merchandise and counterfeit U.S. products around the globe. And, while it may seem harmless to buy a knock-off purse, an inexpensive electronic device or cheaper medication, these trade practices threaten the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and national security by introducing harmful and banned materials into counterfeit products and supporting illegal labor practices. CBP 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. If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please contact CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violations Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT -IPR violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.