U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Louisville, KY, seized a shipment on Aug. 6 containing more than 7,000 pairs of counterfeit earrings.
The shipment was arriving from Hong Kong and was heading to a residence in Miami. Officers inspected the shipment, which was manifested as a “metal necklace” and weighed 56 pounds, discovering 7.319 pairs of earrings bearing the iconic Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra design, which is a federally protected trademark.
CBP trade experts determined the goods to be fake. Had they been genuine, the shipment would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $30 million.
“Legitimate trade powers the U.S. economy, but counterfeit and pirated goods dampen our economic successes, fund criminal networks, and threaten consumer trust and safety,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago field office. “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.”
For the last three years, the top commodities seized for intellectual property rights infringement with the highest total MSRP have been, according to CBP:
- Jewelry
- Watches
- Handbags/wallets
China and Hong Kong are consistently the top two source countries for intellectual property rights seizures. In fiscal 2024, seizures from China and Hong Kong accounted for about 90% of the total quantity seized.
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Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson
When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren.
For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish.
"Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful."
The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing."
Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."
