September 10, 09

NEWS / CBP in Savannah, Ga. Intercepts Counterfeit Socks

Savannah, Ga. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the port of Savannah recently seized 8,154 packages of socks with counterfeit NFL “Colts” name and helmet logos as well as counterfeit “Cotton” logos.


On September 2, CBP officers discovered the shipment of fake merchandise in a container that was selected for examination. A total of 24,462 pairs of socks were seized. The shipment had a total domestic value of $4,203 and a manufacturers suggested retail price of $165,998.


The importation of counterfeit goods into the United States is a growing concern. In fiscal year 2008, the domestic value of goods seized for intellectual property rights (IPR) violations increased by 38.6 percent to $272.7 million from $196.7 million in FY 2007.


“As the primary U.S. border enforcement agency, CBP plays a key role in IPR enforcement,” said John Porter, area port director in Savannah. “Counterfeiting reduces the revenue of U.S. companies and hurts the economy. CBP is committed to combating the illegitimate trade in fakes and potentially unsafe products by seizing counterfeit and pirated goods at our borders, identifying business practices linked to IPR theft and working with our enforcement counterparts to eliminate IPR fraud.”


To address the ongoing threat to domestic industries and the need to identify and interdict counterfeited goods, CBP works closely with private industry, other U.S. government agencies and foreign governments to stem the flow of illegal goods, to protect consumers and the economy.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09102009.xml