10 Most Counterfeited Products in America

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6. Handbags / wallets
> FY 2017 seizures: 3,266
> Pct. of total seizures: 9.6%
> Value of seized goods: $234,451,926

Counterfeit handbags and wallets accounted for less than 10% of CBP seizures in 2017, yet the items seized would have been worth over $234 million if genuine — nearly one-fifth of the total value of all seized goods that year. Fake luxury goods like purses are often made overseas to replicate high-end and designer products at a lower price. Yet these items often use lower-grade materials and lack the durability and quality of the genuine products. CBP seized 3,266 shipments of counterfeit handbags and wallets in fiscal year 2017, a slight uptick from 2016 when 3,184 such shipments were intercepted.

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5. Consumer products
> FY 2017 seizures: 3,912
> Pct. of total seizures: 11.5%
> Value of seized goods: $46,265,355

Consumer products is a new category of seized counterfeit items. It includes drinking glasses, electronics accessories, and light fixtures. CBP officials seized 3,912 shipments of these everyday items in 2017, accounting for 11.5% of total seizures that year. Because many of the items in this category would have replaced relatively inexpensive items even when genuine, consumer products accounted for less than 4% of the total value of seized items, or just over $46 million.

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4. Consumer electronics
> FY 2017 seizures: 4,137
> Pct. of total seizures: 12.1%
> Value of seized goods: $85,115,639

Consumer electronics are essentially any electronic device intended for personal or home use, including phones and TVs, kitchen appliances, or grooming products. Many American homes have several such products, so consumer electronics is a big market for counterfeiters. Officials reported 4,137 seizures of counterfeit consumer electronics in 2017. More than 1,300 of those seizures came during a joint operation between CBP and the General Administration of China Customs. In total, counterfeit consumer electronics seized in 2017 would have been worth more than $85 million if genuine.