The Truth Behind Counterfeits

Fake goods can lead to real dangers. Unfortunately, the dangers of buying counterfeit products aren’t always obvious. When shopping, it is important to recognize the impacts and implications of purchasing goods that violate Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) as it relates to:

Economic Impacts

You work hard for your money! Buy authentic products from trusted sellers.Guarantee that you are getting what you paid for by shopping from reputable sources. Each time a counterfeit good is purchased, a legitimate company loses revenue. This translates to lost profits and the loss of U.S. jobs over time. CBP targets and seizes imports of IPR violative goods. Counterfeits are a global problem with nearly 90% of all CBP IPR seizures coming from China and Hong Kong in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

Health and Safety

Manycounterfeit products are made with substandard materials or components andcan be hazardous to your health. This includes:

• Consumer products like toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, or perfume.
• Counterfeit pharmaceuticals that are missing necessary active ingredients or those that contain fentanyl/other opioids.
• Counterfeit automotive parts like airbags and brake pads that result in catastrophic consequences for the driver and other motorists.

CBP seizes various counterfeit products at U.S. borders to protect the livelihood of American citizens. In FY 2023, counterfeit pharmaceuticals covered nearly half the total number of health and safety products seized.

Legal Consequences

CBP is responsible for seizing imported goods that violate U.S. laws.  As a result, each year CBP seizes numerous imported goods to ensure the only goods entering the U.S. marketplace are genuine, safe, and lawfully sourced.  Purchasing counterfeit goods is illegal and transporting those goods into and throughout the U.S. may result in civil or criminal penalties.  It is also against the law to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise and individual consumers may be liable for a fine, even if they did not intend to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise. 

Criminal penalties for trafficking counterfeit goods can include fines of up to $2 million, 10 years in prison, or both.

E-Commerce

Be sure to shop from reputable online sources.E-Commerce sales have contributed to large volumes of low-value, small packages being imported into the U.S. Over 90% of all counterfeit seizures occur in the international mail and express environments, which are channels that small, e-commerce packages destined for the U.S. travel through. Many of these shipments contain counterfeit goods that pose the same health, safety, and economic security risks as large, containerized shipments.