The opinions expressed are those of David Hsu and do not necessarily reflect the views of the firm, its partners, or its clients. The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice on any subject. No recipient of content from this site, clients or otherwise, should act on the basis of any content in this site without seeking the appropriate legal or professional advice based on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from an attorney licensed in the recipient's state.
Counterfeit goods seized by Customs; source: CBP.gov
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Virginia seized a shipment of designer dresses and shawls estimated to be worth more than $2 million dollars due to trademark violations. The shipment destined for Ohio contained counterfeit dresses, women’s slippers and shawls (see above photo of the actual seized items). The seizure included 1,120 garments for violating intellectual property rights from brands such as Gucci, Apple and Louis Vuitton. If authentic, the MSRP value of the shipment was worth $2.3 million dollars.
If you have had your shipment seized for IPR violations, contact David Hsu by phone/text/email at 832-896-6288 or attorney.dave@yahoo.com to discuss your options.
According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) media release, officers at Dulles airport seived more than $45,000 during two separate currency seizures from individuals leaving the country. The first traveler was a U.S. citizen traveling to Ghana. This traveler initially reported $14,000, but closer inspection revealed over $20,404. In this instance, CBP returned $404 in “humanitarian relief” and released the traveler. The other seizure occurred when a dog alerted officials to a couple traveling to Egypt. The couple reported $15,000, but a subsequent search discovered over $26,403 – $1,043 of that which was returned to the couple as “humanitarian relief”.
Humanitarian relief is an amount CBP can return to the travelers, but is not required to do. The amount can vary and depends on the circumstances – such as the amount seized and the number of travelers.
If you or anyone you know has had their currency seized by Customs, contact David Hsu anytime by phone/text/email at: 832-896-6288, attorney.dave@yahoo.com. Don’t wait as time may run out on your ability to file a claim.
Last week, the United States launched the creation of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), an effort by the current administration to improve U.S. ties with the region which the White House said aims to strengthen U.S. ties in the Asia-Pacific region. The IPEF effort is to also limit China’s influence in the region as China has officially applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The initial IPEF members include: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. While Taiwan is absent from the initial 12 member list, the U.S. claims they will work on a separate bilateral agreement with Taiwan on trade and economic affairs.
According to the press release, the goals and purpose of the IPEF include:
digital economy and e-commerce, including cross-border data flows, data localization, online privacy, and discriminatory and unethical use of artificial intelligence
labor and environment issues and corporate accountability
supply chain resiliency, including establishing an early warning system, eliminating bottlenecks in critical mineral supply chains, improving traceability in key sectors, and coordinating on diversification efforts
accelerated implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
facilitating agricultural trade through science-based decision-making and sound, transparent regulatory practices
clean energy, decarbonization, energy efficiency standards, infrastructure, and methane emissions
enforcement of effective tax, anti-money laundering, and anti-bribery regimes that include provisions on the exchange of tax information, criminalization of bribery in accordance with UN standards, and effective implementation of beneficial ownership recommendations
The participants will meet later in June to work out the details that will ultimately need Congressional vote and approval. More information about the IPEF will be posted as they become available.
If you have any trade, customs, import, export or compliance questions – please contact David Hsu by phone/text/email, anytime at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.
