Recently, the staff of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Columbus port seized a shipment of counterfeit goods from China with a suggested retail price of $168,037. The seized items, totaling 1,816 pieces, included branded automotive parts, consumer electronics, Harry Potter-themed merchandise, and card games.
According to an announcement released by CBP on May 22nd, the bonded goods were intercepted on April 2nd, originating from China and destined for a location in Mexico. CBP collaborated with the trademark owners to confirm that these goods were not legitimate products, resulting in their seizure on May 6th.
The bonded procedure allows imported goods to enter a specific US port of entry without assessment or duty payment and be transported by a bonded carrier to another US port of entry or an authorized destination, subject to all statutory and regulatory conditions. Hector Mancha, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in El Paso, Texas, stated that upon outbound inspection of these goods, it was determined that these conditions were not met, leading to the seizure of the shipment.
CBP confiscated the shipment on the grounds of intellectual property rights infringement, and investigations are ongoing.
Instances of counterfeit Chinese goods being detected in the United States are becoming increasingly common. On April 22nd, CBP announced the interception of a batch of counterfeit brand-name jewelry from China at the El Paso port of entry, with a suggested total retail value of $9,222,800 for the genuine articles, marking a new record high for counterfeit jewelry seized in a single shipment.
Upon examination, the counterfeit jewelry, comprising 1,708 pieces of accessories such as rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, closely imitated the iconic “Alhambra” series by renowned brand Van Cleef & Arpels.
CBP advises all consumers to keep the following useful tips in mind when shopping to avoid purchasing counterfeit goods:
– Purchase items directly from the trademark owner, original manufacturer, or authorized retailer.
– Be aware of the price of authentic goods. If the price of a product is significantly lower than its fair market value, it is likely counterfeit. Unrealistically low prices are also red flags for counterfeit products.
– Stay away from websites that do not provide customer service contact information, return policies, and legitimate phone numbers.
– Consult CBP’s “Consumer E-commerce Counterfeit Guide” for more detailed information on protecting yourself from counterfeit goods.