CHICAGO (WBBMNEWSRADIO) -- Owning a cell phone is pricey enough, and adding peripherals like chargers, cables, and mounts can break the bank. Most consumers who pay for these extras expect a quality product, but what consumers may not realize is there is a profitable market in selling counterfeit items under the guise of a trademarked name, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment from China containing 25 counterfeit “Apple” Airpods on June 1 at the DHL Express Consignment Carrier Facility. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for these airpods, if they were authentic, was $3,975.
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According to CBP, the parcel was manifested as “Lithium Ion Batteries”. CBP officers inspected the package for information related to admissibility of it contents in accordance with agency procedures. It was during this inspection, officers noticed the quality of the packaging and marking on the items were not consistent with the quality of a legitimate product. Their suspicion was confirmed, and the items were turned over for destruction, per port policy.
“Counterfeit goods, like these, damage our economy,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director, Chicago, in a statement. “When criminals sell these items, it deprives legitimate businesses from thriving. Unfortunately, many citizens do not realize the harmful effects that counterfeit products have on American businesses and jobs. American businesses and industries lose billions in revenues annually due to counterfeits and the public is put at risk with unsafe counterfeits which may not meet safety standards. Our CBP officers are proudly protecting American businesses, jobs and consumers.”
On a typical day in 2019, CBP officers seized $4.3 million worth of products with Intellectual Property Rights violations. CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents seized 27,599 shipments containing counterfeit goods in 2019, down from 33,810 seizures in 2018. However, the total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to over $1.5 billion from nearly $1.4 billion in 2018.