Louisville CBP seizes counterfeit watches shipment valued at $28 million

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Louisville CBP counterfeit watches seizure

Highlights

Louisville CBP officers seized 200 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches valued at $28 million on July 9 following a parcel inspection.
Just two weeks earlier, Louisville CBP intercepted 375 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches with an MSRP exceeding $54 million.
CBP identifies rising e-commerce-driven shipments as a primary factor behind increasing counterfeit seizures, posing health, safety, and economic risks to U.S. markets.

Inspection details and enforcement action

As reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, citing its own officers, officers pulled the parcel for inspection on July 9 after it arrived at the Louisville port facility. The examination found 200 watches bearing suspected Audemars Piguet trademarks, and CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise determined the items were inauthentic and subject to seizure for using counterfeit versions of registered and recorded trademarks.

Louisville Port Director Philip Onken says counterfeit goods are poor-quality products that cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars each year while reducing jobs and tax revenues. He says officers are trained to identify illicit shipments and work to stop unlawful trade from reaching American consumers.

Broader trade and consumer risks

The seizure comes just two weeks after Louisville officers intercepted another shipment containing 375 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches with a stated MSRP exceeding $54 million.

CBP says counterfeit sales remain one of the most profitable forms of transnational crime, with sellers often using online channels to market fake versions of popular products. The agency says such goods, including medications, cosmetics, toys, fashion items, jewelry, electronics and automotive parts, can create health and safety risks because they are frequently made with substandard or harmful materials.

CBP also says e-commerce continues to drive high volumes of low-value packages into the U.S., especially through international mail and express shipping networks where many counterfeit seizures occur. The agency urges consumers to buy from reputable online sellers and says its intellectual property enforcement program is aimed at protecting American businesses from unfair competition and malicious misuse.

In our earlier article on U.S. June import prices, we noted that import costs unexpectedly rose 0.3% and posted the strongest annual gain since August 2022, suggesting price pressures were broadening beyond energy. We highlighted that higher prices for goods from China and increased costs for technology-related imports such as computers and semiconductors were key drivers shaping the inflation outlook.

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