A federal judge in Seattle has handed Indian snack giant Haldiram’s a decisive early win, issuing a Gray Market Snack Imports Ban that temporarily halts a Washington food distributor from importing or selling its branded products. The ruling comes amid accusations that the distributor disguised India-only goods and funneled them into U.S. markets, creating what Haldiram’s calls a dangerous and deceptive gray-market pipeline.
Federal Judge Halts Punjab Trading From Importing or Selling Haldiram’s Products
In a sharply worded preliminary injunction issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Lauren King ordered Punjab Trading Inc. to immediately stop “acquiring, importing, distributing, selling, advertising, or promoting” any Haldiram’s products manufactured exclusively for the Indian market.
Judge King said Punjab appeared to have no legitimate right to sell the goods in the first place, noting the company never argued it would suffer harm from a ban.
The ruling also prohibits Punjab from using the Haldiram’s logo in connection with its business — a critical blow in a case centered on brand control and consumer trust.
