U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has intercepted a large shipment of counterfeit jewellery which, if authentic, would have had an estimated retail value of over $3.7 million.
According to CBP, 875 items, including five designer handbags, were intercepted at an express delivery facility in Indianapolis on August 18.
The cargo was shipped from Hong Kong to a private address in Georgia and contained earrings, necklaces, and bracelets bearing unauthorized trademarks from Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Versace, Gucci, and other luxury brands.
After further inspection by CBP’s Centres of Excellence and Examination, experts determined that all items were counterfeit, and the shipment was seized.
The problem of counterfeit luxury goods shipped to the United States has been a long-standing issue. The most frequently counterfeited categories include handbags, watches, jewellery, clothing, and electronics.
In fiscal year 2025, nearly 79 million counterfeit goods with an estimated retail value of over $7.3 billion were intercepted. Indianapolis has become a key interception point for counterfeit shipments. Last year, CBP officers here seized several packages from China and Hong Kong containing millions of dollars' worth of counterfeit jewellery.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
