CBP, ICE Release Annual Report on Counterfeit Goods Seized
December 7, 2009U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week announced that in fiscal year 2009 they made 14,841 seizures of counterfeit and pirated goods with a total domestic value of $260.7 million.
The annual intellectual property rights report is now available online.
“Current economic conditions make CBP’s work to stop trade in counterfeited and pirated goods even more significant,” said CBP’s Acting Commissioner Jayson Ahern, “While we are especially concerned about substandard and unsafe counterfeit imports that threaten consumer safety and national security, we are also protecting American businesses and workers from economic harm.”
In FY 2009, more than 62% of the value of seizures of goods infringing IPR that also posed potential safety or security risks came from China. India was the second highest source country with 9%. The total domestic value of counterfeit products seized presenting potential safety or security risks seized was $32 million. Pharmaceuticals were the top product in this category
China continues to be the number one source country for counterfeit and pirated goods seized, accounting for 79% or $204.7 million of the total seizure value.
For the fourth year in a row, footwear was the top product seized, accounting for 38% of the entire domestic value of IPR infringing goods. Jewelry appeared on the top products list for the first time, accounting for 4% of the total domestic value of IPR seizures.
The top 10 categories of IPR infringing products seized include footwear, consumer electronics, wearing apparel, computers/hardware, pharmaceuticals, and toys/electronic games.
