SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations announced Monday the seizure of 203 dresses and 10 stainless steel bracelets bearing various trademark names and design logos. 
The dresses, seized in Aguadilla, originated from the Dominican Republic via air courier. Had these goods been genuine, the estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods would have been an approximately $516,636.
The bracelets, seized in San Juan, originated from China. Had these goods been genuine, the estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods would have been an approximately $108,000.
“Unfortunately for consumers this type of counterfeit goods continue to be imported for resale since illegitimate goods may pose health and safety threats to U.S. consumers. All importers must exercise reasonable care when purchasing products from international vendors for resale in the US territory,” indicated Leida Colon, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Trade. “The extremely low price is usually a fake branding indicator and the product may not have all the features that the customer expects.”
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.
The sale of counterfeit goods robs legitimate businesses of revenue and robs American workers of jobs. Often, the proceeds from counterfeit merchandise sales support nefarious or illicit businesses and activities. Despite these efforts, the internet has made it easy to find, purchase, and ship items from almost anywhere in the world. With a high demand for well-known brands, many online vendors sell counterfeit products online, infringing on various trademark holder’s rights and revenues.
CBP has established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness and conscientiousness about the consequences and dangers that are often associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods. Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign can be found at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.
If you have any information regarding suspected fraud or illegal trade activity, please report the trade violation to 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.
Follow CBP Office of Trade on Twitter @CBPTradeGov.