CBP Laredo Import Specialist Enforcement Team Seizes Counterfeit Sardines with Retail Value of $88,982
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jun 17, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy Richard Pauza,
LAREDO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) import specialists from Laredo Port of Entry discovered something fishy with a commercial shipment of allegedly counterfeit sardines in tomato sauce retail valued at $88,982 that allegedly infringed on a trademark recorded with CBP.
CBP import specialists from the Laredo Import Specialist Enforcement Team (ISET) team conducted a review at a bonded warehouse of some non-bonded items and discovered a shipment of boxes of sardines in tomato sauce that carried the CALMEX brand name, which is trademark recorded with CBP.
CBP import specialists detained the shipment pending verification of the possible trademark infringement. After the importer was unable to produce a letter of authorization for the use of the trademark, the ISET team seized the merchandise on June 3.
The merchandise included more than 1,200 boxes containing nearly 30,000 cans of sardines in tomato sauce. The merchandise has a domestic value of about $43,000 and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $89,000. “Our import specialists keep a watchful eye when they visit bonded warehouses and their attention to detail resulted in a significant seizure of an unusual commodity in terms of alleged trademark infringement,” said Joe Uribe, acting CBP port director, Laredo . “By enforcing intellectual and property rights (IPR) law, CBP helps ensure that legitimate trademark holders are not undercut by importations of alleged copycat merchandise that may not meet the same quality standards as those of the recorded trademark holder.”
