Jamaica destroys $60m-worth of counterfeit goods

Around $60m in counterfeit goods – mainly clothing and accessories – have been destroyed by the Jamaica Customs Agency, according to local news reports.

Jamaica has become a key destination market for fakes, as well as a trans-shipment location for knockoffs originating from China that are en route to other markets in the Americas, according to the Jamaica Gleaner news website.  

The destruction of counterfeits by the JCA this week included fake Kipling bags, and copycat clothing and shoes from brands like Jordan, Puma, Adidas and Nike, most of which were seized in 2017, according to an article in the Jamaica Observer.

The case is an example of the lengthy processes that enforcement authorities have to go through to prove that seized goods are counterfeit and then secure approval to destroy them, which on this occasion has been made even longer by the coronavirus pandemic.