Skip navigation
By: CNBC.com | 03 Jun 2011 | 02:29 PM ET
Text Size

Top 10 Items Seized at US Ports
JOERG KOCH | AFP | Getty Images
Counterfeit goods generate hundreds of billions of dollars in sales each year, making up about 7 percent of all global trade.At US ports alone, counterfeit products seized in 2009 had an estimated street value of more than $260 million. Authorities are unsure just how many counterfeit goods enter the United States each year, but one thing is certain: Counterfeiting saps economies, puts lives in jeopardy and funds organized crime around the globe.So which counterfeit goods are seized most often? Click ahead to see the top 10 most seized items at US ports in 2009.Crime Inc.: Counterfeit Goods Premieres Wednesday, June 15 at 9p | 10p | 12a | 1a ETBy Lauren McCurdy Posted July 9, 2010Source: US Customs and Border Protection

10. Pharmaceuticals
Yves Forestier | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $5.66 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 3%Counterfeit pharmaceutical seizures at US ports were down 50 percent from 2009 when $11.06 million in seizure value was reported.At left:Genuine and counterfeit Viagra displayed at The Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

9. Jewelry
Yves Forestier | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $6.76 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 4%Counterfeit jewelry seized in 2010 was down nearly 30 percent from 2009, which saw $10.5 million in total seizures.At left: Counterfeit Dior jewelry displayed at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

8. Watches/Parts
Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $7.85 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 4%Seizures of counterfeit watches and parts fell dramatically in 2010, dropping nearly 50 percent from 2009's $15.53 million in seizure value.At left:A customs officer displays counterfeit watches that were seized over the past months in Hamburg, Germany.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

7. Cigarettes
Photo: Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $8.85 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 5%Counterfeit cigarettes were not among the top 10 most seized counterfeit goods at US ports in 2009, so numbers were not broken out by the US Customs office. At left: Counterfeit cigarettes seized by French Customs are displayed outside Ministere des Finances in Paris.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

6. Computers/Hardware
PHILIPPE LOPEZ | AFP | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $9.5 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 5%Seizures of counterfeit computers/hardware at US ports saw a nearly 30 percent decline in 2010 over 2009's $12.54 million in seizure value.At left:Fake iPhones and other hardware displayed in Shanghai shop at a market known for counterfeit goods.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

5. Media
Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $12.68 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 7%Seizures of counterfeit media at US ports rose more than 10 percent in 2010 over 2009's seizure value of $11.09 million. At left: A dealer of counterfeit pop and rap music CDs sells his merchandise on a street in New York City.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

4. Handbags/Wallets/Backpacks
Yves Forestier | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $15.42 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 8%Seizures of counterfeit handbags, wallets and backpacks declined more than 25 percent from $21.5 million in seizures in 2009.At left:Genuine and counterfeit Dior bags displayed at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

3. Apparel
Yves Forestier | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $18.68 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 10%Seizures of counterfeit apparel at US ports dropped about 15 percent in 2010 from $21.46 million in 2009.At left: Genuine and counterfeit Adidas and Lacoste shirts on display at the Counterfeit Museum in Paris, France.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

2. Consumer Electronics
SIMON MAINA  | AFP | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $33.59 millionPercent of Total Seizures: 18%Seizures of counterfeit consumer electronics increased slightly over 2009 seizures of $31.77 million.At left:A Kenyan hawker sells counterfeit goods at the popular market of Gikomba in Nairobi.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

1. Footwear
FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images
2010 Domestic Seizure Value: $45.75 million     Percent of Total Seizures: 24%Seizures of counterfeit footwear were down dramatically from 2009, which saw $99.78 million in total seizure value.At left:Counterfeit name-brand shoes on display at a Beijing clothing market.Source: US Customs and Border Protection

Crime Inc.: Counterfeit Goods
Counterfeitting is the largest underground industry in the world. CNBC goes inside the global crime spree putting our economy and jobs at peril ... and lives at risk.Crime Inc.: Counterfeit Goods Premieres Wednesday, June 15 at 9p | 10p | 12a | 1a ETVisit Crime Inc. Web Site Video: You Won't Believe What Customs Agents Find

© 2011 CNBC.com
Tools:
Add This share icon

MORE SLIDESHOWS

Current DateTime: 01:25:37 23 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29778428

Current DateTime: 03:38:29 22 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779196

Current DateTime: 12:30:56 22 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779197

Current DateTime: 02:40:55 23 Feb 2012
LinksList Documentid: 29779199
CNBCCNBC
About CNBC  |  Site Map  |  Video Reprints   |  Advertise  |  Help  |  Contact
Privacy Policy  |     |  Terms of Service  |  Independent Programming Report
  Data is a real-time snapshot  *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis

© 2012 CNBC LLC.  All Rights Reserved.
A Division of NBCUniversal
Thomson ReutersThomson Reuters