click to enlarge U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
 
 Two shipments containing 2,380 counterfeit hoverboards were recently discovered at the Port of Charleston 
 
 In what is sure to become the crime of the future, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently intercepted two shipments containing 2,380 counterfeit hoverboards entering the Port of Charleston.Yes, much like how Marty McFly commandeered a small child’s hoverboard to escape Griff Tannen and his gang in, so too have our local customs officers stepped in to outwit the criminals behind these potentially combustible conveyances.According to a press release from the CBP, which is tasked with ensuring that imports comply with U.S. regulations and safety standards, the seized hoverboards violated trademark protections and posed a potential health risk to consumers. Manufactured in China, these hoverboards would carry a suggested retail price of more than $1.6 million in the United States.This discovery by customs officials is just another example of the growing threat of counterfeit hoverboards arriving on American shores. According to the CBP, officers in Chicago recently seized more than 16,000 potentially unsafe hoverboards, and more than 50,000 boards have been confiscated across the nation.“Enforcing product safety laws and protecting intellectual property rights is a top priority for Customs and Border Protection,” said CBP’s acting area port director for the Port of Charleston, Anthony Acrey, in a statement. “By seizing untested and potentially hazardous products at our nation’s borders, CBP officers protect the American consumer and contribute to keeping our communities safe beyond the holiday season.”So remember next time you go down to the docks to get your hands on a fresh shipment of hoverboards, you’re not only putting yourself in danger — you’re putting America in danger too. ||||| CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The holiday season may have passed, but not the importation of popular items that consumers are eager to buy. It is U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) border security responsibility to ensure that these imports comply with all applicable U.S. laws, including consumer safety standards. When imports don’t, CBP removes them from circulation. 
 
 Recently, CBP’s Port of Charleston, S.C. did just that when officers seized two shipments containing 2,380 counterfeit hoverboards because they violated trademark protections, and because they posed a potential health risk to U.S. consumers. 
 
 If authentic, the hoverboards, which were manufactured in China, would have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,666,000. 
 
 “Enforcing product safety laws and protecting intellectual property rights is a top priority for Customs and Border Protection,” said Anthony Acrey, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director for the Port of Charleston. “By seizing untested and potentially hazardous products at our nation's borders, CBP officers protect the American consumer and contribute to keeping our communities safe beyond the holiday season." 
 
 
 
 CBP recently seized $1.6 million in counterfeit hoverboards in Charleston, S.C., for possessing counterfeit labels and potentially dangerous ion lithium batteries. 
 
 Hoverboards—self-balancing, two-wheeled, motorized platforms—are one of this year’s most popular items. However, major safety concerns have surfaced following reports of fires possibly caused by substandard and counterfeit lithium ion batteries within some hoverboards. 
 
 The swell of ccounterfeit hoverboards arriving at U.S. ports continue to be a concern for CBP. 
 
 CBP in Chicago recently announced a record seizure of more than 16,000 potentially unsafe hoverboards. Nationally, more than 50,000 potentially unsafe boards, with an estimated MSRP approaching $20 million, have been seized. 
 
 Counterfeit and pirated products threaten our economic security and undermine legitimate businesses that invest significant resources into manufacturing safe, quality products. Even worse, these products often pose serious health and safety hazards to the people who buy and use them. 
 
 CBP’s vigilant enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights protects America’s businesses against the threat of unfair and illicit competition from foreign companies, and prevents goods that may be dangerous to consumers or national security from entering the United States. 
 
 If you are aware of or suspect a company or individual of infringing your trademark or copyright, please report the trade violation to CBP at e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System. Trade violations can also be reported by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. 
 
 For more information on CBP’s efforts involving counterfeit goods, visit IPR enforcement program. ||||| Every year, more than 275 million containers enter the United States by boat, truck, rail, and air. Last year, U.S. law enforcement agencies seized a total of 31,560 shipments containing counterfeit goods, an increase from 28,865 the year prior. 
 
 To determine the most counterfeited products entering the United States, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed seizure data from the Department of Homeland Security. With 6,406 shipments seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2016, apparel and accessories are the most confiscated counterfeited items in the country. 
 
 The prevalence of counterfeit goods devalues the brands they imitate and hurts retailers. According to to the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, lost profits due to counterfeiting has resulted in the loss of more than 750,000 jobs in the United States. The total market value of the 2016 seized counterfeit goods, had they been genuine, amounted to $1.4 billion. 
 
 Click here to see the 10 most counterfeited products in America. 
 
 Counterfeiting has consequences beyond lost sales of genuine products. In a correspondence with 24/7 Wall St., CBP public affairs specialist Katrina Skinner wrote “Theft of intellectual property threatens America’s innovation-based economic vitality, business competitiveness, the livelihood of workers, consumer safety, and national security. Trade in counterfeit goods funds criminal enterprises.” 
 
 One of the largest threats posed by counterfeit goods is consumer safety. Fake medicine, for example, often contains the wrong dosage of a certain ingredient or lacks a key ingredient altogether. Consumers who purchase counterfeit pharmaceutical products are at risk of being treated incorrectly, of overdose, and even death. U.S. law enforcement seized 2,401 shipments of counterfeit pharmaceutical and personal care goods in 2016, the sixth most of any product category. 
 
 While the U.S. Food and Drug administration estimates that less than 1% of all drugs in developed countries are fake, counterfeit pharmaceutical products pose a serious danger in the developing world, where certain life-threatening diseases are more prevalent and the authenticity of drugs is all the more important. 
 
 But it is not just fake pharmaceuticals that pose a serious risk to consumers. Any product that does not meet federal safety standards or is manufactured with low quality materials can pose a danger to consumers. Counterfeit consumer electronics made with lithium batteries have been known to explode or catch fire. 
 
 In December 2016, the CBP launched Operation Surge Protector, an initiative focusing on the seizure of fake consumer electronics subject to overheating and igniting. Counterfeit hoverboards, for example, have been known to randomly catch fire. The CBP seized 108,122 counterfeit hoverboards containing 32,624 illegal batteries in 2016. These hoverboards would be worth $46.4 million had they been genuine. 
 
 The number of shipments of certain products seized at the border can vary by hundreds and even thousands from year to year. As Skinner wrote, “Demand by consumers for particular goods drives the import of goods into the United States. Counterfeiters take advantage of this demand.” As consumer tastes and preferences change, so does the flow of fake goods into the country. 
 
 Nearly 90% of seized counterfeit goods originate in China or Hong Kong. According to the Department of Defense, the infiltration of foreign-made counterfeit electronics poses a national security threat. For example, it was revealed in 2011 that mission computers of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s anti-ballistic missile defense and aircraft systems contained over 80,000 counterfeit devices from China. The fake products could have resulted in a total system failure or security breach. 
 
 To determine America’s most counterfeited items, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on shipments seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in fiscal 2016. The ranking is based on the number of shipments seized. The CBP tracks annual seizure of products that infringe on U.S. trademarks and copyrights or are unlawful based on exclusion orders from the United States International Trade Commission. These products make up the 10 largest shares of total seizures. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of these counterfeit products — their total value had they been genuine — also came from the Department of Homeland Security. 
 
 These are the 10 most counterfeited products in America.
– Federal officers recently seized nearly 2,400 counterfeit—and possibly prone to explode—hoverboards in shipments that arrived at South Carolina's Port of Charleston, the Charleston City Paper reports. The hoverboards, which were made in China, would have been worth more than $1.6 million retail, according to US Customs and Border Protection. In addition to being a fire risk—possibly due to faulty lithium ion batteries—the counterfeit hoverboards also run afoul of US trademark law. "Remember next time you go down to the docks to get your hands on a fresh shipment of hoverboards, you’re not only putting yourself in danger—you’re putting America in danger too," the City Paper states. Counterfeit hoverboards have been an ongoing problem since the holidays, with more than 50,000 seized around the country.