Customs Seizures

The reasons for seizures or liquidated damages vary, with country of origin marking issues, suspected counterfeit goods or other IP violations, failure to redeliver merchandise, and undeclared merchandise or money common examples. Customs, however, also exercises its enforcement authority on behalf of other federal agencies, including:

• Food and Drug Administration
• Consumer Products Safety Commission
• Animal Plant Health Inspection Service
• Fish & Wildlife Service
• Environmental Protection Agency

An importer with seized merchandise or a demand for liquidated damages has certain options for remediating the seizure or mitigating potential liquidated damages. Barnes/Richardson lawyers understand these options and can implement the best strategic approach for securing the release of your property or reducing any financial exposure.  We draw on our firm-wide experience dealing with CBP seizures and demands for liquidated damages and offer thoughtful and objective solutions to address the circumstances of your situation, whether it be via the administrative petition process, judicial forfeiture in the local district court or abandonment of the property.    

Aug. 24, 2021

International Art and Cultural Heritage Law

Aug. 3, 2021

The Epic (of Gilgamesh) Tale of Importing Cultural Property

Jun. 22, 2021

Importer Asks CIT to Overturn CBP Exclusion of "Hemp" Processing Equipment

January 23, 2019

US Extends Cultural Property Protection to Items from Bulgaria and China

June 15, 2017

GAO: CBP Needs More Staff, Better Hiring Plans to Ensure Effective Enforcement

February 14, 2017

President Trump, Prime Minister Trudeau Meet to Discuss Potential NAFTA Modifications

March 26, 2014

CBP Seizes More Pirated Imports in 2013

May 4, 2017

BRC Partner Lawrence Friedman to Speak at Upcoming PERT Event

March 2, 2017

David G. Forgue to Participate in Georgetown International Trade Update

February 14, 2017

BRC, Joern Law Firm to Hold Joint Webinar on Consumer Product Safety Rules and Import Requirements
By: Lawrence M. Friedman

April 10, 2014

BRC Secures Return of Seized Currency

February 5, 2013

Detentions, Exclusions, and Customs Protests
By: Lawrence M. Friedman

October 2, 2007

Brand Owners Can Prevent Increasingly Costly Offshore Counterfeit Activities
By: Frederic D. Van Arnam, Jr.

July 13, 2007

Strategies for Dealing with Counterfeiting
By: Frederic D. Van Arnam, Jr.

August 1, 2006

Section 337 Cases on the Rise
By: Matthew T. McGrath

U.S. Customs & Border Protection Seizure Information