U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Champlain Port of Entry Cargo Facility seized multiple shipments of jewellery for trademark infringement.
From December 2024 to January 6, 2025, CBP officers inspected several separate shipments which contained various pieces of what appeared to be high-end jewellery.
After a thorough examination of the merchandise, the jewellery was determined to be counterfeit Tiffany & Co. pieces.
All the items were seized for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations and, if genuine, would have an estimated total Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) value of approximately $29,989.
“CBP continues to play a crucial role in protecting the consumer and businesses from the importation of fraudulent merchandise,” said Champlain Port Director Steve Bronson. “I’m proud of the outstanding job our officers and import specialists do in targeting these shipments and identifying these violations.”
CBP has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and ultimately 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 has subsequently been 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.
