Customs seizes $552K in fake designer cellphone covers, jewelry, luxury watches
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations announced it seized various courier packages containing counterfeit designer cellphone cases, jewelry and luxury watches sent from Hong Kong.
If genuine, the confiscated merchandise would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $552,157, the agency said.
CBP officers discovered the counterfeit goods while conducting an enforcement exam on courier packages in the air cargo facility at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
The seizures included fake luxury watches under the protected brands for Patek Philippe, Ulysse Nardin and Rolex, as well for the “Swiss Made” marking, which is a protected trademark that can only be placed on watches that have been certified by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. The imported jewelry was seized bearing false Tous trademarks.
The majority of the counterfeits seized in the San Juan Field Office are illegitimate goods in the jewelry, handbags, electronics, footwear, clothing and prescription drugs product categories. The source economies for most of these items are Hong Kong and China.
Nationwide, in Fiscal 2019, CBP seized 27,599 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. Had they been genuine their value would have increased to nearly $1.5 billion from more than $1.4 billion in Fiscal 2018.
In Fiscal 2019, the San Juan Field Office seized 4,538 shipments that violate IPR, with a value of $36 million.
Watches and jewelry topped the list for number of seizures based on intellectual property rights (IPR) violations with 4,242 representing 15% of all such seizures. Watches and jewelry continued as the top product seized for IPR violations valued at more than $687 million, representing 44% of the total MSRP value of seizures in this category.
Violative wearing apparel and accessories seizures placed second by MSRP value, with seizures estimated to be valued at more than $343 million.
