NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Ports of New Orleans and Shreveport seized more than 2,000 unapproved face masks bearing counterfeit designer logos. The shipments were found in express consignment facilities, and had been shipped from Vietnam and China.
On June 9, 2020, a shipment was discovered in New Orleans which contained 1,208 face masks with Burberry, Supreme and Gucci logos. A second shipment was found on June 10 in Shreveport and contained 990 face masks bearing Chanel logos. Both shipments were seized for bearing counterfeit trademarks.
“This is another example of the hard work and diligence shown by our CBP officers,” said Terri Edwards, CBP Port of New Orleans Director. “The significance of these seizures is two-fold. On one hand, our officers have kept potentially harmful counterfeit items from being introduced into the U.S. commerce. We must do our part to keep the American public protected, especially in the wake of COVID-19. Also, by seizing these
shipments, our officers protected the intellectual property rights of legitimate businesses, keeping their trademarks from being used maliciously.”
In Fiscal Year 2019, CBP seized more than 27,599 shipments containing goods with IPR violations with a total estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $1.5 billion, if the goods had been genuine.
CBP established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness and conscientiousness about the associated consequences and dangers with purchasing counterfeit and pirated goods. Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign can be found at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.
Members of the public can report information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity to the e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. IPR 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. Local trade violations can also be reported by calling 1-866-237-3468.
The Port of New Orleans is located in the historic U.S. Custom House, located in the Central Business District of New Orleans. Its area of operation covers 250 miles of the Mississippi River, including airports in Gramercy, Shreveport, Lake Charles, and Baton Rouge.