Nike and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection are joining forces against counterfeit goods that are entering the country, with the Swoosh company giving CBP some valuable technology to help out.

“Nike, Inc. is partnering with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help authenticate Nike, Inc. merchandise and prevent counterfeit products from entering the U.S,” a Nike spokesperson told Fox. 

The CBP seized 26,503 shipments containing goods last year that would have been worth $1.3 billion if they were legitimate. The goods include clothing, which makes up approximately 15% of those counterfeit goods; jewelry accounts for 12% and shoes for another 12%. 

The CBP website statement included: 

“Under its partnership with CBP, NIKE, Inc. is donating proprietary technology to aid in authenticating a variety of NIKE, Inc. merchandise and prevent counterfeit products from entering the United States.  CBP and NIKE, Inc. will test the tool at a limited number of international mail and express consignment facilities.”  

The CBP underscored the importance of maintaining a secure process in fighting the scammers. 

“As criminal organizations use proceeds from counterfeit sales to fund other illegal activity, our partnerships help strengthen our border security posture through innovation and resource optimization,” Diane Sabatino, deputy executive assistant commissioner of the CBP Office of Field Operations, said Thursday. 

And Nike has a personal stake in the game, as one might expect. The CBP seized more than 14,000 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes in a shipment from China in 2019, according to the Customs and Border Protection. 

The Beaverton, Ore.-based mammoth company has become popular for counterfeiters, as those 14,000+ shoes seized in Los Angeles carried a value of $2,247,680 if they had been genuine. 

The huge shipment of footwear, which came from China, carried a “napkins” label to try to avoid interest from authorities. 

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