SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico —U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Juan Field Operations announced Monday the seizure of counterfeit watches and designer jewelry imported into Puerto Rico via international mail and courier. The estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of all the counterfeit products seized is approximately $265K, had the goods been genuine. 
“Consumers sponsor certain brand products for their intrinsic value and quality,” indicated Leida Colon, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Trade. “Counterfeits do not have the quality sought and reduce the value of the brand.”
Most of the seizures of counterfeit products in the San Juan Field Office are jewelry, footwear, clothing and prescription drugs. The source countries for most of these items are Hong Kong and China.
Recently the San Juan Field Office also seized 844 counterfeit alloy wheels.
The sale of counterfeit goods robs legitimate businesses of revenue, robs American workers of jobs, and poses health and safety threats to U.S. consumers. Oftentimes, the proceeds from counterfeit merchandise sales supports other nefarious and illicit businesses.
CBP has an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program, through which CBP targets and seizes imports of counterfeit and pirated goods, and enforces exclusion orders on patent-infringing and other IPR goods.
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.