Counterfeit Seizures by U.S. Government Declined in 2012
Apparel and accessories were the top counterfeit items confiscated by customs officials in fiscal-year 2012, followed by consumer electronics and parts; optical media; and handbags, wallets and backpacks.
In terms of dollar value, the top items seized were handbags and wallets, watches and jewelry, and apparel and accessories.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently issued its annual report on the agency’s battle against counterfeit goods infringing on intellectual-property rights. Those goods can range from fake Louis Vuitton purses to counterfeit True Religion jeans.
In fiscal 2012, the report said, the retail value of merchandise seized was up 13.5 percent to $1.26 billion, compared with $1.11 billion the previous year.
However, the quantity of goods seized was down 7.8 percent, from a record high of 24,782 items in fiscal 2011 to 22,848 items in fiscal 2012.The retail value of fake handbags and wallets discovered totaled $511 million in fiscal-year 2012 while watches and jewelry were valued at $187 million and apparel and accessories totaled $133 million.Most of the goods were shipped as ocean cargo. Customs has seen an increasing number of knockoff items being sold via the Internet. Consequently, the U.S. government in 2012 shut down 697 websites suspected of selling knockoffs.
China accounted for 72 percent of seized goods, nearly half of that in handbags and wallets. Hong Kong and Singapore followed China as top sources of counterfeit items.
