U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Port of Rochester’s point of entry reported seizing various beauty, dietary supplements, and designer goods bearing counterfeit trademarks, including a shipment of Crocs Classic Clogs.
The CBP agency posted the report on its X/Twitter account on July 11, referencing a media release on its website.
In its June report, CBP officers at the Port of Rochester inspected several shipments containing “designer” handbags, wallets, clothing, watches, and sneakers. Upon examination, the CBP determined that all goods were counterfeit and seized the products.
The beauty supplies and dietary supplements found by the CBP officers at the site violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, possibly posing a serious health threat to consumers. If the products were genuine, their total value, or the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), would be approximately $575,000.
“Our CBP officers diligently work to protect honest and hardworking legitimate businesses by targeting and intercepting these fraudulent items,” said Rochester Port Director Ronald Menz. “We continue to protect our community and the consumer from these unregulated counterfeit items that could potentially cause severe health issues.”
The CBP has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and destroy imported merchandise if it bears an infringing trademark or copyright that has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office and recorded with CBP through the E-Recordation program. Other violations can include misclassification of merchandise, false country-of-origin markings, health and safety issues, and valuation issues.
The CBP noted that “trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens America’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of U.S. workers, and, in some cases, national security and the health and safety of consumers. It is also against the law to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise and individual consumers may be liable for a fine even if they did not intend to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise.”
Images courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Patrol
