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CBP seizes fake designer caps at Dulles Airport

Customs and Border Protection said, if authentic, the 450 baseball-style caps seized by its officers would have retailed for about $207,000.

   Customs and Border Protection on Thursday announced that its officers had recently seized a shipment of 450 counterfeit designer baseball-style caps that arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport.
   The agency said the retail value, if the caps had been authentic, would be about $207,000
   CBP officers inspected two shipments of designer brand name hats March 18. The shipments contained 250 and 200 hats, respectively, and wore the brands of Gucci, Chanel, LV Supreme, Y-3 Adidas and Louis Vuitton. 
   The shipment of 250 caps arrived from China and was destined to Centerville, Va., while the shipment of 200 caps had a Hong Kong origin and was destined to a Manassas Park, Va. address.
   Suspecting that the caps were counterfeit, the CBP officers seized the shipments and the agency’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Centers for Excellence and Expertise was called in to work with the trademark holders to verify their authenticity.
   The seizure is an example of the many counterfeit products stopped by CBP daily. According to the agency, on an average day in 2018, CBP officers nationwide seized $3.7 million worth of products for intellectual property rights violations.

Chris Gillis

Located in the Washington, D.C. area, Chris Gillis primarily reports on regulatory and legislative topics that impact cross-border trade. He joined American Shipper in 1994, shortly after graduating from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., with a degree in international business and economics.