February 5, 10

NEWS / Los Angeles CBP Donates Shoes, Clothes to Local Non-Profit

Los Angeles - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Kevin Weeks, director of Field Operations in Los Angeles announced today the donation of 109,300 pairs of shoes, 10,000 pants and 2,592 sweaters to local non-profit organizations: World Vision International, Soles4Souls, Samaritan’s Feet, and Shelter Partnership.


The total estimated domestic value of the items is $3.6 million and a manufacture’s suggested retail price of $13.2 million.

All the items were seized by CBP officials at Los Angeles/Long Beach seaports for bearing counterfeit trademarks of various famous brands. CBP is responsible for enforcing trade laws and preventing counterfeits from entering commerce. When fake items are seized at ports of entry, the trademark owners may authorize CBP to donate the items to charity.


“We are very thankful that the trademark owners approved the items to be donated to charity. We are pleased to put the counterfeit items to good use,” said Director Weeks.


In fiscal year 2009, the Los Angeles field office donated 639,000 pairs of shoes, 3,696 men shirts, 351 TV/DVD combo sets and 41,071 pieces of clothes to charities. These items had a domestic value of $19.2 million and a manufacture’s suggested retail price of $76.5 million.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/02042010_5.xml