US House Reps push bipartisan bill to block counterfeit imports

The legislation strengthens Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) authority to share packing and shipping details of suspected counterfeit shipments with intellectual property rights holders, transport carriers, and e-commerce platforms. It cleared the House Ways and Means Committee with a unanimous 40-0 vote.

Rep Moore said the global marketplace is increasingly threatened by counterfeiters and IP thieves. He noted that the bill “will unlock real-time intelligence sharing between CBP and the private sector,” helping dismantle illicit networks and protecting Americans from dangerous counterfeit goods.

Ways and Means Committee chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) said strong property rights are vital for innovation, but loopholes have allowed bad actors to exploit gaps in trade enforcement. He credited Rep Moore’s leadership in advancing measures that improve coordination between law enforcement and private industry.

Rep Schneider emphasised the economic and safety risks posed by counterfeit goods, praising the bill’s enhanced support for CBP in disrupting trafficking networks.

“Stopping counterfeits at the border demands a coordinated and collaborative approach,” said Travis Johnson, vice president of the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition. “This commonsense legislation enhances CBP’s ability to leverage private sector expertise and intelligence, and we applaud the sponsors for their efforts to protect consumers and legitimate businesses from the harms caused by those illicit imports.”

“We are thankful for Chairman Grassley’s efforts to call for more information sharing for rights holders to quickly and effectively identify counterfeit and illicit products. Counterfeit goods do not just represent economic losses, lost sales, and lost jobs through brand identity theft; the digital devalue chain of counterfeits exposes consumers and workers to a multitude of dangers that pose real product safety hazards for consumers, workers, and the environment,” said Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (SG)