U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers recently seized 36,000 toy airplanes worth $575,000 that violated trademark laws and were headed for the Point of Entry (POE) in Ranier, Minnesota.
Officers targeted the rail container containing the merchandise at the International Falls POE. After inspection of the merchandise, officers investigated their licenses and trademarks further. Discussion with the trademark holders revealed that neither the importer nor the manufacturer was licensed to produce the merchandise or display the trademarks they used.
“CBP remains focused on enforcing the importation of counterfeit products while facilitating the lawful importation of merchandise,” Anthony “Tony” Jackson, the port director in International Falls, said.
CBP allows trademark and copyright holders to register through the CBP’s online system in order to assist officers in identifying counterfeit goods.