SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico —U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Field Operations announced Tuesday the seizure of 900 sets of fake Apple AirPods in separate packages imported into Ponce and San Juan from Hong Kong via air courier. Had these goods been genuine, the estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods would have been an approximately $217,400. 
Since June, CBP has made four seizures of such products. CBP seized 560 fake Apple Airpods and 600 air pods in August.
“It is unfortunately for consumers that this type of counterfeit goods continue to be imported for resale since illegitimate good 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.
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