Two shipments of counterfeit 1,500 Hermès handbags, one bound to Mexico and other to U.S.A, were seized at the Port of L.A. The counterfeit bags, which originated from China, have a combined estimated domestic value of $18,412. This value is an indicator of potentially high profit margins in the illegal trade of this type of counterfeit luxury product, U.S. CBP official Jaime Ruiz said in a statement. Had the handbags been the real Hermès, they would be worth an estimated $14.1 million.
The counterfeiting of handbags and small leather goods has been on the rise, with a 142% increase in the value of goods seized in 2012, compared to the previous year. The vast majority of it was made in China, the customs agency said. According to the Mr. Ruiz, the counterfeit manufacturers are increasingly turning towards the so-called “absolute luxury” brands to increase their profit margins.
Source: Karanovic & Nikolic Law Office, IP highlights March 2013
