On October 28, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Louisville, Kentucky, intercepted two shipments from Hong Kong. The parcels contained 53 counterfeit watches. If genuine, the watches would have had a total Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $6.6 million. The items displayed unauthorized trademarks of brands including Richard Mille, Rolex, Hublot, Cartier, Swarovski, G-Shock, and Patek Philippe. The shipments were addressed to homes in Union City, Georgia, and Doral, Florida.
CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise confirmed the watches were counterfeit. The items were seized and transferred to Homeland Security Investigations for further review. According to CBP, jewelry, watches, and handbags or wallets have been the most commonly seized items for intellectual property rights (IPR) violations in the past three years. China and Hong Kong accounted for about 90% of all IPR seizures in Fiscal Year 2024.
CBP officials state that intellectual property theft can affect the U.S. economy and may be linked to organized crime. They also note that counterfeit products can pose risks to public health and safety. LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field Office, said protecting businesses and consumers from counterfeit goods is important. She added that the sale of fake products can impact legitimate companies and jobs…