CBP snags $11.4 million worth of fake goods

CBP snags $11.4 million worth of fake goods    Holiday shoppers are looking for bargains, and counterfeit manufacturers are working hard to meet demand for low-cost goods. U.S. authorities are working hard to stop them.
   Customs and Border Protection said inspectors seized more than $11.4 million of apparel and handbags during November in New York, Seattle, Miami, Los Angeles and other ports of entry.
      Working under the guidance of the agency’s import specialists, CBP officers seized $9.2 million worth of fake handbags from China bearing the trademarks of Louis Vuitton, Coach, Burberry and Fendi. More than $2.2 million worth of men’s T-shirts, polo shirts, knit pants and sports shoes bearing the Nike label were also seized. The figures are calculated at manufacturers suggested retail price. CBP spokeswoman Lynne Hollinger said prior year figures are not comparable because they were calculated using the more conservative domestic value. She gave no explanation for the change in reporting methods.
   In the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, CBP confiscated more than $31 million worth of wearing apparel and handbags, wallets and backpacks accounting for 33 percent of all seized goods for intellectual property violations.