WASHINGTON, D.C. (Tucson News Now) -
A new
report released details the amount of counterfeit and pirated goods seized
throughout 2012. This past year, $1.26 billion in counterfeit merchandize was
taken in by officials.
This
dollar amount is the retail price of the counterfeit goods if they had been
genuine.
According
to the report, China continues to be the top source for the counterfeit
merchandise. Of the goods seized, 72 percent of them were from China at an
estimated manufacturer's retail price of $906 million.
The report
incorporates the efforts of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Here is a
breakdown of the seized counterfeit goods:
- Handbags/Wallets
- Watches/Jewelry
- Wearing Apparel/Accessories
- Consumer Electronics/Parts
- Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care
- Digital Media
- Computer/Accessories
- Labels/Tags
- Toys
Fake
purses and wallets were also the top commodity seized the previous year.
However, there was a drastic jump in the value of fake handbags in 2012. Forty
percent of all the value of fake items seized was handbags and wallets in 2012,
a jump from 19 percent the previous year.
The report
also highlights that the internet is playing a role in the growth in numbers of
small packages of counterfeit goods shipped to the United States. This past
year, 697 sites were shut down by ICE. The sites were targeted at trafficking
counterfeit/pirated goods.
Copyright 2013 Tucson News Now. All rights reserved.
