NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Norfolk recently seized over $450,000 in dental supplies shipped from China that were bound for Baltimore.

Federal law requires a clear and visible country of origin marking on all imported goods. The purpose of these marking is to inform U.S. consumers on where imported products are made and help to enforce trade laws that are applied on a country-specific basis.

“Consumers have the right, under U.S. law, to know where the products they are purchasing are sourced, including materials used to make those products. Omitting country of origin markings deprives American consumers of that right to choose how they spend their hard-earned money and who profits from their spending,” said Mark Laria, CBP’s Area Port Director.

The first shipment was seized on Aug. 26 and consisted of nearly 1.8 million dental bibs valued at over $35,000. CBP officers most recently seized a shipment on Sept. 17. This shipment consisted of nearly two million prophy angle cups and over 1.6 million dental tray covers valued at over $419,000.

For more information about country of origin markings click here.