March 31st, 2023
PHILADELPHIA - Automotive repairs can be costly. Consumers might try to save a few bucks by buying cheaper parts online or by hiring a mechanic who offers to do the repair work at less than market value. But that decision could be even more costly if the auto parts fail because they are knockoffs.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a Philadelphia-bound shipment of counterfeit auto parts on Monday that consisted of 177 pieces, including air bag covers, aluminum hoods, front fenders and bumpers, and badges bearing trademarked logos of Chevrolet, Buick, and Dodge. The counterfeit auto parts were valued at $196,035 manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), had they been authentic.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $200,000 in counterfeit auto parts on March 27 that were shipped from China to an address in Philadelphia. Consumers in need of auto repairs should be wary of unscrupulous repair shops and greedy internet vendors that prioritize profits over the safety of their customers.
The shipment initially arrived from China on March 2 and officers detained them after they suspected the auto parts to be counterfeit. CBP officers also submitted documentation and photographs to CBP’s trade experts at the Electronics Centers of Excellence and Expertise and to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
On March 13, NHTSA advised CBP that the auto parts did not comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
On Monday, CBP’s trade experts determined that the auto parts were not authentic and that they bore infringing trademarks that had been recorded with CBP through the e-Recordation program (https://iprr.cbp.gov/s/).
CBP officers seized the shipment on Monday. No one has been criminally charged. An investigation continues.
CBP officers earlier seized 192 headlamps and 40 brake hoses on February 28 for failing to comply with DOT and NHTSA safety standards. The headlamps and brake hoses were shipped from Taiwan to an address near Los Angeles and were valued at about $2,500.
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program. The international trade in counterfeit consumer goods is illegal. It steals revenues from trademark holders, steals tax revenues from the government, funds transnational criminal organizations, and the unregulated products potentially threaten the health and safety of American consumers. Counterfeit consumer goods may also be sourced or manufactured in facilities that employ forced labor.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $200,000 in counterfeit auto parts on March 27 that were shipped from China to an address in Philadelphia. Consumers in need of auto repairs should be wary of unscrupulous repair shops and greedy internet vendors that prioritize profits over the safety of their customers. The fake auto parts included airbag covers, which could improperly deploy and harm the driver.
During fiscal year 2022, CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents seized nearly 21,000 shipments containing goods that violated IPR, which equates to nearly 25 million counterfeit goods. The total estimated MSRP of the seized goods, had they been genuine, was over $2.98 billion (USD), or an average of over $8 million every day.
Additionally, HSI special agents arrested 255 individuals in 2022, obtained 192 indictments, and received 95 convictions related to intellectual property crimes. back...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a Philadelphia-bound shipment of counterfeit auto parts on Monday that consisted of 177 pieces, including air bag covers, aluminum hoods, front fenders and bumpers, and badges bearing trademarked logos of Chevrolet, Buick, and Dodge. The counterfeit auto parts were valued at $196,035 manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), had they been authentic.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $200,000 in counterfeit auto parts on March 27 that were shipped from China to an address in Philadelphia. Consumers in need of auto repairs should be wary of unscrupulous repair shops and greedy internet vendors that prioritize profits over the safety of their customers.
The shipment initially arrived from China on March 2 and officers detained them after they suspected the auto parts to be counterfeit. CBP officers also submitted documentation and photographs to CBP’s trade experts at the Electronics Centers of Excellence and Expertise and to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
On March 13, NHTSA advised CBP that the auto parts did not comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
On Monday, CBP’s trade experts determined that the auto parts were not authentic and that they bore infringing trademarks that had been recorded with CBP through the e-Recordation program (https://iprr.cbp.gov/s/).
CBP officers seized the shipment on Monday. No one has been criminally charged. An investigation continues.
CBP officers earlier seized 192 headlamps and 40 brake hoses on February 28 for failing to comply with DOT and NHTSA safety standards. The headlamps and brake hoses were shipped from Taiwan to an address near Los Angeles and were valued at about $2,500.
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement program. The international trade in counterfeit consumer goods is illegal. It steals revenues from trademark holders, steals tax revenues from the government, funds transnational criminal organizations, and the unregulated products potentially threaten the health and safety of American consumers. Counterfeit consumer goods may also be sourced or manufactured in facilities that employ forced labor.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $200,000 in counterfeit auto parts on March 27 that were shipped from China to an address in Philadelphia. Consumers in need of auto repairs should be wary of unscrupulous repair shops and greedy internet vendors that prioritize profits over the safety of their customers. The fake auto parts included airbag covers, which could improperly deploy and harm the driver.
During fiscal year 2022, CBP officers and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents seized nearly 21,000 shipments containing goods that violated IPR, which equates to nearly 25 million counterfeit goods. The total estimated MSRP of the seized goods, had they been genuine, was over $2.98 billion (USD), or an average of over $8 million every day.
Additionally, HSI special agents arrested 255 individuals in 2022, obtained 192 indictments, and received 95 convictions related to intellectual property crimes. back...
