What to Know
- Thousands of pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers, worth nearly $1.7 million, were seized by authorities at the Port of New York/Newark
- The sneakers were destined to an address in Chino, California, authorities say
- According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, 9,024 pairs were seized
Thousands of pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers, worth nearly $1.7 million, were seized by authorities at the Port of New York/Newark.
The sneakers were destined to an address in Chino, California, authorities say.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, if the 9,024 pairs seized were authentic the sneakers would have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,695,600.
CBP officers allegedly came across the counterfeit shoes when inspecting a shipment late September after it arrived from China. The officers subsequently submitted digital images of the sneakers to CBP’s Apparel Footwear and Textiles Center for Excellence and Expertise, the agency’s trade experts and determined the sneakers to be counterfeit.
The investigation into this case is ongoing.
“This significant seizure of counterfeit Nike sneakers illustrates Customs and Border Protection’s continued commitment to protecting the American consumer against the proliferation of substandard and potentially unsafe counterfeit consumer goods,” Troy Miller, Director of CBP’s New York Field Office, said in a statement.
Local
Counterfeit goods robs legitimate businesses of revenue, robs American workers of jobs and poses health and safety threats to U.S. consumers, CBP says, adding that oftentimes, money from counterfeit merchandise sales supports "nefarious and illicit businesses."
