$4.3m in fake jewellery seized by Cincinnati CBP

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Cincinnati seized 9,377 pieces of jewellery this week that infringed trademarks of brands including Tiffany, Pandora, Cartier, Bvlgari, Dior, Gucci, Chanel, Rolex, Versace, and Tous.

The shipment from China – destined for an address in McAllen, Texas – was mixed with generic jewellery in the shipping container, and had a declared value of $119. If sold at manufacturer's recommended selling prices, the counterfeit pieces would have a combined valued of $4.26m, according to CBP.

The shipment was inspected on March 30, with samples sent to a CBP Centre of Excellence and Expertise (CEE) for assessment. The specialist unit concluded that the items were fake and CBP seized the shipment on April 26.

Last month, Cincinnati CBP also intercepted fake Cartier jewellery sent from China with an estimated value of $3.1m.