The influx of counterfeit goods in America has risen in the past few years. To put into perspective, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized 8.2% more shipments of counterfeit goods valued at $1.21 billion USD in 2017 versus the year before, according to 24/7 Wall St. Asian countries like China and Hong Kong are where most of the fake products are originating from, although not all of them are made there. Asia accounts for about 78% of seized goods.
Additionally, categories in this "Most Counterfeited Products in America" list made by 24/7 Wall st. include popular items like watches, jewelry and electronics. The top 3 most counterfeited products include apparel, watches and footwear. Brands like Louis Vuitton and Rolex are some of the most targeted goods while Nike, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, is the most bootlegged brand.
The ranking below, which focuses on the 2017 fiscal year is based on the number of total seizures. The percentage of total seizures, as well as value of seized goods, are also taken into account. Astonishingly, watches and jewelry seizures were valued at $460,162,145 USD and handbags/wallets were valued at $234,451,926 USD in 2017, accounting for much of the cost within the overall scope.
See the ranking below or check out the entire explanation for each category at 24/7 Wall St.
10. Toys
FY 2017 seizures: 449
Pct. of total seizures: 1.3%
Value of seized goods: $12,128,156
9. Computers/Accessories
FY 2017 seizures: 454
Pct. of total seizures: 1.3%
Value of seized goods: N/A
8. Optical Media
FY 2017 seizures: 809
Pct. of total seizures: 2.4%
Value of seized goods: $27,573,775
7. Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care
FY 2017 seizures: 2,209
Pct. of total seizures: 6.5%
Value of seized goods: $69,758,720
6. Handbags & Wallets
FY 2017 seizures: 3,266
Pct. of total seizures: 9.6%
Value of seized goods: $234,451,926
5. Consumer Products
FY 2017 seizures: 3,912
Pct. of total seizures: 11.5%
Value of seized goods: $46,265,355
4. Consumer Electronics
FY 2017 seizures: 4,137
Pct. of total seizures: 12.1%
Value of seized goods: $85,115,639
3. Footwear
FY 2017 seizures: 4,224
Pct. of total seizures: 12.3%
Value of seized goods: $41,490,429
2. Watches & Jewelry
FY 2017 seizures: 4,297
Pct. of total seizures: 12.6%
Value of seized goods: $460,162,145
1. Apparel & Accessories
FY 2017 seizures: 5,223
Pct. of total seizures: 15.3%
Value of seized goods: $74,880,617
In other counterfeit news, James Jebbia, founder of Supreme recently addressed the Supreme Italia phenomenon going on right now.
Click here to view full gallery at HYPEBEAST