At the Champlain Port of Entry in New York, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers confiscated several counterfeit designer watches, valued at over $50,000 if authentic. The seizure occurred after officers inspected four shipments from the same sender earlier this month, finding one counterfeit watch in each.
Through consultations with trademark holders, the watches were confirmed as fakes and seized on April 18 for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations. The total suggested retail price of the genuine versions of these watches would have been approximately $51,800.
Acting Port Director Todd Bulson praised the diligence of the officers in intercepting these fraudulent items, highlighting CBP’s role in safeguarding consumers and businesses from counterfeit goods. CBP has broad authority to handle goods infringing on registered trademarks and copyrights, including detaining, seizing, and destroying them. Counterfeit trade not only undermines the U.S. economy and workers but can also impact national security and consumer safety. CBP encourages the public to report any suspected trade law violations through their E-Allegation reporting tool.–News Desk