A measure that aims to curb counterfeiting by foreign producers shipping goods into the United States is winding its way through the legislative branch.
During a mark-up session on Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee will consider H.R. 4930, a bill that would bolster U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) information-sharing capabilities when it comes to intellectual property enforcement at the border. The goal is to allow CBP to share details with brands and retailers that will help stop dupes and fakes from making their way into the hands of U.S. consumers.
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Introduced by Congressman Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Congressman Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the text elucidates law enforcement’s ability to share specific reporting on products, packaging and even packing materials with brands when they are connected to shipments that are suspected counterfeits.
It opens up eligibility for information sharing from CBP, allowing the agency to communicate with relevant stakeholders, which lawmakers believe will give the agency more tools to identify and enforce against intellectual property infringement. The law broadens the scope of information available for sharing as well as the web of supply chain partners it can be shared with, keeping enforcement efforts from becoming siloed and driving efficiency in CBP operations.
H.R. 4930 is a companion to S 2677, a bill introduced in the Senate in August by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).
The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), along with 11 other trade organizations across industries like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and automotives wrote a letter in support of the Senate bill, painting a picture of the scope of the burgeoning market for counterfeit products and the adverse impacts they have on the American consumer market.
The signatories pointed to CBP data showing that the agency seized more than 32 million counterfeit and pirated products worth over $5 billion last year from more than 300 ports of entry. Over the past five years alone, the volume of illicit goods seized by CBP has more than doubled and the value of those products has ballooned over 400 percent.
“AAFA applauds the leadership of Congressman Moore and Congressman Schneider for introducing H.R. 4930, a crucial step toward enhancing CBP’s authority to share information needed to combat counterfeit products,” AAFA senior director of brand Protection, Jennifer Hanks, said this week.
“We urge bipartisan support as this bill is marked up tomorrow in the House Ways & Means Committee and moves through Congress—critical steps toward strengthening enforcement tools that protect American families from the serious risks of counterfeit products.”
