CBP Officers in Cincinnati Seize $4.26 Million in Fake Jewelry

CINCINNATI— On April 26, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized 9,377 pieces of jewelry from a shipment originating in China and destined to an address in McAllen, Texas.

Officers inspected the shipment on March 30 and found thousands of jewelry items bearing protected trademarks from Tiffany, Pandora, Cartier, Bvlgari, Dior, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex, Versace, and Tous. Unprotected “generic” jewelry was comingled in the same box with protected jewelry that was undervalued on the invoice. Officers reached out to CBP’s Centers of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), and an import specialist determined the jewelry was counterfeit. Had they been genuine, the items would have been worth more than $4.2 million although the declared value was only $119.

“Intellectual property theft harms the U.S. economy and threatens the security, health, and safety of the American people,” said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie. “Our officers are committed to protecting private industry and consumers and ensuring that legal trade continues to power our economy.”

CBP has established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers that are often associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods. Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits public awareness campaign can be found at https://www.cbp.gov/FakeGoodsRealDangers.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-officers-cincinnati-seize-426-million-fake-jewelry