John McCarthy
SAN JUAN — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers and Import Specialists seized 116 pieces of counterfeit luxury jewelry contained in a single consignment originating from China for infringing intellectual property rights. If the items were genuine, the combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the shipment would be $701,600.
“What an importer thought would be Christmas presents could represent a health risk because of the subpar quality of fake jewels,” stated Efrain Rivas, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Trade at the San Juan Field Office.
In the 2023 federal fiscal year, the San Juan Field Office executed 1,313 Seizures with a combined MSRP of nearly $21 million.
Among the seized items was a counterfeit version of a Van Cleef earring set. (CBP photo)
CBP has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and ultimately destroy merchandise seeking entry into the United States if it bears an infringing trademark or copyright that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or the U.S. Copyright Office, and has subsequently been recorded with CBP.
When shopping online consumers need to beware of counterfeit goods. Fake goods can lead to real dangers, which are not always obvious to consumers. CBP established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers associated with purchasing counterfeit and pirated goods online or in stores. More information about that initiative is available at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.
If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please submit an allegation to CBP through the Trade Violations Reporting Tool or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. Intellectual property rights violations can also be reported to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/ or by telephone at 1-866-IPR-2060.
For more information about protecting yourself from counterfeit and pirated goods, visit https://www.stopfakes.gov/.
