SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers seized 1,072 rechargeable deep cycle lead batteries found to be counterfeit at the Port of San Juan. 
The batteries displayed “Reverse RU,” a protected trademark. The total estimated manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized batteries, had they been genuine, is $208,068.
“Consumers purchase products based on the quality attributed to a particular brand,” indicated Leida Colon, Assistant Director of Field Operations for Trade. “Counterfeiters piggyback on a brand to sell an inferior quality product or that which does not meet the industry safety standards.”
CBP focuses on priority trade issues such as intellectual property rights, in order to protect American ingenuity and consumers from harmful products. Nationwide, in fiscal year (FY) 2018, CBP seized 33,810 shipments containing goods that violated intellectual property rights. The total estimated MSRP value of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to nearly $1.4 billion in FY 2018.
The Intellectual Property Rights Fiscal Year 2018 Seizure Statistics report is available here: cbp.gov/trade/priority-issues/ipr/statistics.
CBP has established an educational initiative at U.S. airports and online in order to raise consumer awareness and conscientiousness about the consequences and dangers that are often associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods. To date, the campaign ads have been viewed over 500 million times.
Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign can be found at www.cbp.gov/fakegoodsrealdangers.
If you have any suspicion of or 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.