What’s Ninth on List of 2014 Counterfeit Seizures? Tags and Labels
You can’t always judge a product by its label. In fact, tags and labels turn up in ninth place on a list of the top counterfeited commodities, according to a report recently released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“Protecting intellectual property rights is a critical part of CBP’s trade enforcement mission and critical to protecting American consumers,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske in a release. “Frontline interceptions of cargo at America’s ports of entry produced more than 23,000 seizures of fake products worth an estimated $1.2 billion that could have cheated or threatened the health of American consumers.”
Apparel and accessories continue to be the number one commodity classification based on number of seizures with 7,922 seizures or 28 percent, while tags and labels come in at just 2 percent. Other counterfeit goods make up the balance, including consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals/personal care, handbags and wallets, footwear, watches and jewelry, optical media, and toys. However, what isn't clear is exactly how the value of the tags and labels is calculated, so one wonders about the legitimacy of tags and labels on all those confiscated goods.
All of which could mean that those name-brand sunglasses you snagged for $50 might not be quite the deal you thought they were.
