10 most Counterfeit Goods Seized at US ports!!!

10 most Counterfeit Goods Seized at US ports!!!

Counterfeit goods generate hundreds of billions of dollars in sales each year, making up about 7 percent of all global trade.

At US ports alone, counterfeit products seized had an estimated street value of more than $260 million. Authorities are unsure just how many counterfeit goods enter the United States each year, but one thing is certain: Counterfeiting saps economies, puts lives in jeopardy and funds organized crime around the globe.

So which counterfeit goods are seized most often?


10. Pharmaceuticals

2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $5.66 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 3%

Counterfeit pharmaceutical seizures at US ports were down 50 percent from 2009 when $11.06 million in seizure value was reported.

Genuine and counterfeit Viagra displayed at The Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.

9. Jewelry
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $6.76 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 4%


Counterfeit jewelry seized in 2010 was down nearly 30 percent from 2009, which saw $10.5 million in total seizures.

Counterfeit Dior jewelry displayed at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.

8. Watches/Parts
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $7.85 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 4%

Seizures of counterfeit watches and parts fell dramatically in 2010, dropping nearly 50 percent from 2009's $15.53 million in seizure value.

A customs officer displays counterfeit watches that were seized over the past months in Hamburg, Germany.


7. Cigarettes
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $8.85 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 5%

Counterfeit cigarettes were not among the top 10 most seized counterfeit goods at US ports in 2009, so numbers were not broken out by the US Customs office.

Counterfeit cigarettes seized by French Customs are displayed outside Ministere des Finances in Paris.

6. Computers/Hardware
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $9.5 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 5%

Seizures of counterfeit computers/hardware at US ports saw a nearly 30 percent decline in 2010 over 2009's $12.54 million in seizure value.

Fake iPhones and other hardware displayed in Shanghai shop at a market known for counterfeit goods.

5. Media
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $12.68 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 7%

Seizures of counterfeit media at US ports rose more than 10 percent in 2010 over 2009's seizure value of $11.09 million.

A dealer of counterfeit pop and rap music CDs sells his merchandise on a street in New York City.


4. Handbags/Wallets/Backpacks
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $15.42 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 8%

Seizures of counterfeit handbags, wallets and backpacks declined more than 25 percent from $21.5 million in seizures in 2009.

Genuine and counterfeit Dior bags displayed at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.


3. Apparel
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $18.68 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 10%

Seizures of counterfeit apparel at US ports dropped about 15 percent in 2010 from $21.46 million in 2009.

Genuine and counterfeit Adidas and Lacoste shirts on display at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.


2. Consumer Electronics
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $33.59 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 18%

Seizures of counterfeit consumer electronics increased slightly over 2009 seizures of $31.77 million.

A Kenyan hawker sells counterfeit goods at the popular market of Gikomba in Nairobi.


1. Footwear
Domestic Seizure Value: $45.75 million
Percent of Total Seizures: 24%

Seizures of counterfeit footwear were down dramatically from 2009, which saw $99.78 million in total seizure value.

Counterfeit name-brand shoes on display at a Beijing clothing market.