CBP Seizes Over $500,000 Worth of Merchandise at Port of Rochester

A crackdown? No, call it a Croc -down.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ) seized over half a million dollars’ worth of counterfeit goods at the Rochester, New York port last month, the agency announced Thursday.

According to a release, the seized shipments “contained multiple ‘designer handbags, wallets, clothing, watches and sneakers.’ Among the counterfeits items grabbed by CBP were knockoff Crocs in a variety of color ways and sizes, per a photo shared by CBP.

Officers also found counterfeit supplements and cosmetic and beauty items in the shipments, all of which it said violated the FDA’s Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

According to CBP, if the items seized had been authentic, they would have been worth about $575,000, sold at MSRP. Beyond Crocs counterfeits, officials also found items made to look like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Nike, Adidas, Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, Versace, Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana items. The agency estimated that fashion products made up about $527,000 of the $575,000.

Rochester Port Director Ronald Menz said that in seizing counterfeits, agents look to safeguard consumers and businesses alike.

“Our CBP officers diligently work to protect honest and hardworking legitimate businesses by targeting and intercepting these fraudulent items,” Menz said a statement. “We continue to protect our community and the consumer from these unregulated counterfeit items that could potentially cause severe health issues.”

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In fiscal year 2023, CBP, with the help of other agencies, seized about 23 million counterfeit goods from 19,522 shipments, according to data released by the agency last month. Officials estimate the total cost of those goods came in at over $2.75 billion. Apparel and accessory items were the most commonly seized items, representing 26 percent of all CBP’s 2023 seizure lines for violation of intellectual property rights.

CBP said in its statement it remains committed to weeding counterfeit goods out of the economy on every possible occasion.

“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,” the agency wrote.

CBP is not the only government entity working to halt the flow of counterfeit goods in the U.S. The Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-Commerce Act ( SHOP SAFE Act ) recently advanced to the House of Representatives. If passed, it would require e-commerce companies to put into place a slew of safeguards to vet sellers and products, all in an effort to reduce the circulation of counterfeits.

And Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier this week that the the Department of Homeland Security was looking to secure legislation that could change the de minimis exception, which allows shipments under $800 to enter the United States with little scrutiny. Politicians like Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) have come out in favor of closing or seriously reforming the de minimis exception, often referred to as a “loophole.”

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