US Customs Seizes $30 Million Shipment of Fake Jewelry From Hong Kong

Aug 15, 2025 - 09:57

Updated: 10 months ago

US Customs Seizes $30 Million Shipment of Fake Jewelry From Hong Kong

Customs officers in Louisville, Kentucky, have seized a shipment containing fake earrings that would be worth millions of dollars if they were real, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers said on Aug. 13.

The shipment, which originated in Hong Kong, was intercepted on Aug. 6 on its way to a private residence in Miami, according to a CBP statement.

The parcel contained earrings resembling the iconic design of Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra, the agency stated.

The Centers of Excellence and Expertise, the federal agency’s trade experts, determined the shipment to be counterfeit, according to the statement.

The package contained more than 7,000 pairs of earrings and would have had a combined estimated recommended retail price of $30.37 million, according to the statement.

LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the CBP Chicago Field Office, said in a statement that counterfeit and pirated goods undermine U.S. economic successes, “fund criminal networks, and threaten consumer trust and safety.”

“As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third-party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise,” she said.

The United States is the world’s top destination for counterfeit products, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in its May 2025 report. Based on the latest available data, the organization estimated that the value of imported fake goods worldwide hit $467 billion in 2021, accounting for 2.3 percent of global imports.

While counterfeit goods came from various countries, China was identified as the “primary source” of counterfeit goods, according to the report.

Data from the CBP show that in the 2024 financial year, China and Hong Kong together were responsible for 90 percent of counterfeit and pirated goods seized by U.S. border officers, based on quantity. If genuine, these fake goods from China and Hong Kong would have been worth more than $5 billion, according to an estimate by the CBP.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative stated in its latest annual report that counterfeiting activities have ramped up in China as economic conditions have declined. The report, released in April, lists China on a priority watch list of nations that have “particular problems” with respect to intellectual property protection and enforcement.

In June, the CBP stated that a total of 2,193 pieces of counterfeit jewelry were seized by customs officers in Kentucky, all of which came from China and Hong Kong. If genuine, the jewelry would have been valued at $25.3 million.

In May, the CBP reported that, in April, it seized thousands of fake driver’s licenses and fake watches that would have been worth more than $9.2 million if genuine. These shipments, destined for various locations across the United States, came from Hong Kong and China, according to the statement.