Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at improving the detection and prevention of counterfeit and pirated imports. The proposed bill would give Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the authority to share information about suspected counterfeit goods’ packaging and shipping with intellectual property rights holders, e-commerce platforms, and transportation carriers. Grassley and Hassan are also submitting the measure as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

"Counterfeits threaten our nation's economy and can put consumers at serious risk. By boosting information sharing between Customs and Border Protection, rights holders and commerce professionals, our bipartisan bill would establish a straightforward and effective approach to cutting back on potentially dangerous counterfeit products," Grassley said.

“This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will strengthen law enforcement efforts to identify and interdict counterfeit imports, helping to ensure that law enforcement, e-commerce platforms and transportation carriers are working together to stop counterfeiters,” Hassan said. “I will continue to support law enforcement efforts to protect consumers and keep counterfeit products from crossing our borders.”

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Brad Schneider (D-Ill.).

“As a member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, I regularly speak to Utah companies who struggle to compete against IP theft and the proliferation of counterfeit material,” Moore said. “This bill will unlock real time intelligence sharing between CBP and the private sector that will help shut down routes exploited by counterfeit operations and cut off counterfeit flows before they reach American shores.”

“Counterfeit goods undercut American businesses, threaten jobs and endanger public safety. I’m proud to join my colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Blake Moore, and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Maggie Hassan in introducing this legislation that enhances CBP’s ability to disrupt counterfeit trafficking networks and better safeguards our economy and communities,” Schneider said.

During his confirmation hearing, CBP Commissioner Randy Scott expressed support for legislative efforts aimed at strengthening the agency’s capacity for information sharing.

The bill has received backing from several industry groups including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council, Baby Safety Alliance, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, International Trademark Association, Partnership for Safe Medicines, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, and Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade.

“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.

“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.”

Grassley is currently co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus as well as a former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. In 2019 he released a report titled “Fight Against Fakes” detailing how bad actors exploit markets at consumer expense. He first proposed similar legislation in 2021 focused on enhancing cooperation between CBP agents https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-hassan-lead-bipartisan-push-to-curb-counterfeit-imports#background-section-0 with private sector partners.