CBP Officers Intercept $4.24 Million Worth of Counterfeit Watches in Louisville

Luxury watches are one of the most frequently counterfeited items seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers across the country. The key shipping hub at Louisville encounters a significant amount of these counterfeit watches.

Image courtesy: CBP

During July, CBP officers in Louisville seized a total of nine shipments counting 130 counterfeit luxury watches. If these watches were authentic, they would have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of more than $4.24 million. The watches in question displayed logos from renowned luxury brands like Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Patek Philippe, Hubolt, Bvlgari, and Audemars Piguet, and were all deemed counterfeit by CBP’s trade experts at the Centers of Excellence and Expertise.

The shipments, originating from Hong Kong, were bound for various destinations, primarily Florida. However, CBP exercised its authority to prevent these counterfeit goods from entering the country and infringing on protected trademarks. The protection of intellectual property rights is a top priority for CBP, with a daily seizure average of $8 million worth of products with intellectual property violations in fiscal year 2022.

LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations, Chicago Field Office commented on this latest interception…

“This is just another example of the work our officers do to protect consumers and the U.S. economy. As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third-party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise.”

The trafficking of counterfeit goods not only poses risks to consumers but also provides a lucrative income stream for criminals, supporting other illegal activities. In the last fiscal year, counterfeit handbags, small leather goods, watches, and jewelry were the top three seized counterfeit products by CBP based on their MSRP. In total, over 153,810 counterfeit watches, with a value of over $596 million, had they been genuine, were seized in the same period.

Nationwide, CBP seized an astounding 24.5 million shipments of intellectual property rights violations in 2022. Had these counterfeit goods been genuine, they would have a potential value of nearly 3 billion dollars. To raise awareness about the dangers associated with counterfeit products, CBP continues its educational initiatives, to guide consumers to make responsible purchasing decisions – with the Truth Behind Counterfeits.

The CBP continues to highlight that to combat counterfeiting, a collective effort is required, and they urge individuals with information about illegally imported goods to report it through the e-Allegation system. By doing so, together we can protect legitimate businesses and consumers from the harmful effects of counterfeit goods.