CBP seize counterfeit iPhones at Pembina Port of Entry
From Canada
#LSN_PublicSafety
PEMBINA, NORTH DAKOTA – March 1, 2019, 2019 (LSN) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers working at the Pembina Port of Entry targeted a shipment arriving from Canada destined to the United States. In January, CBP officers inspected the shipment in Pembina and discovered merchandise in violation of intellectual property rights (IPR) regulations.
The merchandise consisted of 39 cellular phones bearing the Apple trademark. Examination revealed the phones were counterfeit. As a result, CBP seized those items. The counterfeit merchandise has an aggregate manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $31,200.
“Our officers and import specialists do an excellent job targeting shipments and identifying counterfeit items,” said Barbara Hassler, Pembina Area Assistant Port Director - Trade. “Counterfeit merchandise is often made of inferior materials, and can potentially threaten the health and safety of consumers.”
Stopping the flow of illicit goods is a priority trade issue for CBP. The importation of counterfeit merchandise can damage the U.S. economy and threaten the health and safety of the American people. For more information on CBP’s IPR priority trade issue visit: CBP Trade and IPR.
With the growth of foreign trade, unscrupulous companies have profited billions of dollars from the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods. To combat the illicit trade of merchandise violating laws relating to IPR, trademark and copyright holders may register with CBP through an online system. Such registration assists CBP officers and import specialists in identifying merchandise that violate U.S. law.
CBP’s IPR enforcement strategy is multi-layered and includes seizing illegal merchandise at our borders, pushing the border “outward” through audits of suspect importers, cooperating with our international trading partners, and collaborating with industry and governmental agencies to enhance these efforts.
