U.S. Authorities Seize $1.8M in Counterfeit Hermès Bags

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U.S. authorities seized an estimated $1.8 million in counterfeit Hermès Birkin handbags at the Port of Savannah, Ga., last month, marking the largest counterfeit seizure at the port this year.

Officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection snagged 198 of the fake Hermès handbags in early October after inspecting a shipment from China that was logged in the manifest as polyurethane handbags. China is the number-one source of counterfeit and pirated goods seized by U.S. officials.

According to WWD, China accounts for 68 percent, or $1.18 billion, of goods seized in fiscal year 2013. Of that total, officials seized $547.7 million in bogus handbags and wallets from China. The other two large seizures in Savannah this year included 377 cartons of bogus sunglasses valued at $1.6 million and $1 million in counterfeit soccer apparel.

As the market for designer bags has grown, so has the market for knockoffs. Style Caster reports, in 2012, the U.S. seized counterfeit goods worth around $1.26 billion, and there was no shortage of fake designer handbags in that haul. Counterfeiters are getting increasingly savvy, and telling the difference between a fake and the real deal isn't always easy.

MStars News recently reported, fakes are harder and harder to differentiate from the real ones as production houses who produce the real ones are starting to "knock off" the very work that they do for expensive luxury labels. The best way to recognize fakes is to look at the details.

Check out this video featuring the Hermès Men's autumn/winter 2014 Collection:

Experience Hermès men’s autumn-winter 2014 collection with Men etcetera : hermes.com/men_etcetera #hermes #hermeshomme #menetcetera

A photo posted by Hermès official account (@hermes) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:05am PDT