Los Angeles, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers and Import Specialists assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex seized 3,960 high-fashion belts bearing counterfeit Hermès listed trademark. If genuine, the seized belts had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $3,227,400.

This seizure is part of a new generation of counterfeit fashion goods offering much more convincing copies of actual products. The belts, had the Hermès trademark stamped on each the boxes, and on the back of each belt. The trademark was also engraved on the back of the belt buckle.

“Counterfeit products are increasingly of a higher quality, making consumers easily deceived by fakes that look and feel real,” said Carlos Martel, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex. “The flood of counterfeit products not only creates an enormous drain on the U.S. economy, but funds transnational criminal enterprises.”

The merchandise, which arrived from China, was seized by CBP officers on June 18. In an attempt to evade detection, the shipment was manifested as “Plastic Besoms”. 

Approximately $1.22 billion worth of counterfeit goods originating overseas were seized by CBP in 2014. China, Hong Kong, Canada, India and United Arab Emirates were the top five countries of origination for counterfeit goods seized by CBP last fiscal year.

Nationwide, wearing apparel and accessories comprised 28 percent of the number of counterfeit seizures by CBP last year. With an estimated MSRP of $113 million, wearing apparel and accessories represented 9 percent of the total value of goods seized.