The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized 200,000 counterfeit Forever stamps from Hong Kong at the port of Birmingham, Alabama, valued at $146,000.
According to CBP’s announcement on Friday, during an operation at a local sorting facility, CBP officers selected two packages for inspection based on specific criteria. Upon inspection, the stamps in the packages appeared genuine but further examination revealed them to be counterfeit, potentially violating multiple U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR) laws.
Steve Robinson, the Port Director of CBP in Birmingham, stated that “protecting America” is a collective commitment and determination of dedicated CBP officers, agricultural experts, and support staff.
“They play a crucial role together in safeguarding consumers and businesses from the infringement of counterfeit goods,” Robinson wrote. “Economic security is national security.”
In the fiscal year 2024, approximately 90% of the counterfeit goods seized by CBP globally originated from China and Hong Kong.
The announcement mentioned that CBP continues to collaborate with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents under the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspectors to thwart attempts of illegally importing counterfeit U.S. Forever stamps.
CBP conducts screening of international travelers and goods, and searches for illegal narcotics, undeclared cash, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agricultural products, invasive species and pests, as well as other illicit products that may endanger the American public, U.S. businesses, and national security and economic vitality.