( Cincinnati ) A recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation at the express consignment hubs of DHL and UPS in Louisville has netted more than $3.4 million in counterfeit items including counterfeit 2013 NFL Super Bowl team jerseys.

William A. Ferrara, CBP Acting Director of Field Operations in Chicago says “This counterfeit merchandise hurts consumers by being substandard and it hurts the U.S. economy as well. Also federal investigations have shown that some of these counterfeiting organizations are linked to other criminal enterprises.”   

During the weeks and days leading up to major sporting events, an array of products with the trademark and names of the popular teams are manufactured and made available to fans even though the companies are not licensed to produce these trademarked items. CBP works closely with the trademark holders and the private sector to distinguish authentic jerseys, hats and other items from the fakes. As in years past, China remains the primary source of counterfeit and pirated goods coming into the United States representing 72 percent of all IPR seizures.