NEW YORK: U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated more than $600,000 in counterfeit merchandise – including more than 1,600 hoverboards – from a rail container at the Ranier border crossing on the Minnesota-Canadian border earlier this month.
The agency announced Wednesday that in early January, officers working at the International Falls port of entry inspected a rail container bound for the nearby Ranier port of entry and found “merchandise that violated multiple laws and regulations.”
“The merchandise consisted of 1,650 Smart Balance Hoverboard scooters and 90 motherboards,” the agency reported in a news release. “Examination of the merchandise revealed Bluetooth counterfeit trademark violations on both the scooters and motherboards.”
Officers seized the merchandise, which in total had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $645,252.
“CBP continues to play a key role in intellectual property rights enforcement,” Anthony Jackson, port director in International Falls, said in a news release. “CBP continues to stay focused on combating the illegitimate trade in counterfeit products.”
The agency said that stopping the flow of counterfeit products is a “priority” issue, to help protect the U.S. economy. Its enforcement strategy “is multi-layered and includes seizing illegal merchandise at our borders, pushing the border ‘outward’ through audits of suspect importers, cooperating with our international trading partners, and collaborating with industry and governmental agencies.”
A hoverboard is a self-balancing two-wheeled board or a self-balancing electric scooter that is portable with a rechargeable battery. They typically consist of two wheels arranged side-by-side, with two small platforms between the wheels, on which the rider stands. It was one of the most popular holiday gifts this past Christmas.
