CINCINNATI–-On February 11-12, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized two shipments of jewelry and watches deemed to be counterfeit by CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise.
The first shipment originated from Quezon City, Philippines, and was headed to a private residence in Aurora, Illinois. Although it had a declared value of $50, the package held 237 items of jewelry or watches labeled as Hermes, Chanel, Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef, Bvlgari, and Rolex. Had the items been genuine, the cumulative Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) would have been $783,495.
The second shipment came from China and was addressed to an individual in New York, New York. This shipment contained 87 counterfeit Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, and Panerai watches with a total MSRP of $2,186,500, had they been real.
Intellectual property is an important component of the U.S. economy, and Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie emphasized the necessary role CBP plays in protecting the economy and consumer safety and health.
“No one buys a luxury brand watch or piece of jewelry expecting it to fail or fall apart. As consumers increasingly purchase from online or third party vendors, our officers are at the frontline to guard against defrauders expecting to make money selling fake merchandise.”
Intellectual property rights (IPR) violations are associated with smuggling and other criminal activities, and often funds criminal enterprises. CBP Trade protects the intellectual property rights of American businesses, safeguarding them from unfair competition and use for malicious intent while upholding American innovation and ingenuity. Suspected violations can be reported to CBP here.
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