More than 13K counterfeit products seized at LA, Long Beach port complex
Fake Gucci, Chanel, Fendi, YSL, and Louis Vuitton items were among the counterfeit products customs agents seized from a cargo ship recently.
Customs agents assigned to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach recently seized 13,586 counterfeit designer products arriving in a cargo shipment from China that, if genuine, would have had an estimated retail value of more than $30 million, authorities said Thursday, Dec. 2.
The agents found handbags, tote bags, shoulder bags, crossbody bags, backpacks, shirts, and pants bearing numerously registered and recorded trademarks, such as Gucci, Chanel, Fendi, YSL, and Louis Vuitton in a shipment on Nov. 9, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
If the merchandise had been genuine and not counterfeit, the seized products would have an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $30,437,775 combined, CBP said.
“CBP commits substantial law enforcement resources to keep counterfeit and pirated goods out of U.S. supply chains, markets, and streets,” Carlos C. Martel, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles, said in a statement. “Now more than ever, CBP officers remain vigilant, committed, and focused on disrupting these smuggling operations.”
Historically, counterfeit products have been sold on illegitimate websites and in underground outlets, CBP said.
“Bad actors exploit e-commerce operations by selling counterfeit and unsafe goods through online platforms,” Donald R. Kusser, port director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport, said in a statement, “particularly during the holiday season when shoppers are looking for deals.
“If the price of the product seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Kusser added. “Counterfeit goods are often of poor quality and can even be unsafe for you and your family.”
Consumers were urged to take these steps to protect themselves and their families from counterfeit goods:
Last year, CBP seized 26,503 shipments nationwide containing counterfeit goods, together with estimated to be worth nearly $1.3 billion had they been genuine.
