MIAMI - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and import specialists seized more than 3,260 counterfeit automobile parts during an inspection at Port Everglades on May 8. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the counterfeit products is around $280,000.
CBP officers seized a variety of counterfeit automotive parts.
CBP, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), targeted the shipment as part of a joint multi-layered enforcement operation focused on interdicting illegal counterfeit automotive parts.
The seizure included over 180 different types of vehicle parts ranging from small fuses to front ends.
Counterfeit automotive parts are a safety risk as they are of inferior quality compared to the authentic product and their failure to perform to standard could cause safety issues resulting in catastrophic failure.
“Close collaboration and strong partnerships at the seaport built into an aggressive enforcement program bring about results,” said Port Everglades CBP Port Director Jorge Roig. “It’s a safety concern and we’ll continue to selectively target imported goods for intellectual property rights violations.”
CBP uses technology to increase interdiction of fake goods, facilitate partnerships with industry, and enhance enforcement efforts through the sharing of information and intelligence. CBP is refining its technology to more accurately identify suspected shipments of counterfeit and pirated goods for inspection.
To protect both private industry and consumers, CBP has made Intellectual Property Rights enforcement a priority trade issue. In addition to seizing goods at U.S. borders, the strategy includes expanding the border through post-import audits of companies that have been caught bringing fake goods into the U.S., collaboration with our trading partners, and partnering with industry and other federal agencies to enhance these efforts. CBP also issues civil fines and, where appropriate, refers cases to other law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation.
In fiscal year 2014, there were 23,140 intellectual property rights seizures with an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1.2 billion had the goods been genuine.