I’d like to take a moment to update my
colleagues on a bill I introduced in 2021 designed to fight counterfeits.
As we all know, counterfeits are a threat
to the United States’ economic and national security interests.
Most counterfeits originate in China—one
of our largest competitors.
Counterfeits are dangerous to consumers.
And lastly, counterfeits rip-off American
ingenuity and result in billions of dollars in losses.
This is why Congress must ensure the federal
government arms its partners with the tools and resources they need to combat
the bad guys who sell these fake goods.
It was incorporated in the United States Innovation and Competition Act
of 2021.
And, it gives U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) authority to share more information with the private sector on
counterfeits identified at the border.
It also gives CBP the authority to share
information with other parties, like e-commerce companies and shipping
carriers.
Sharing information creates a more secure
trade ecosystem that keeps counterfeits out of the country.
This is good, commonsense policy.
Now, my colleagues may be asking
themselves: Why is this needed now?
Well, CBP believes that the Trade Secrets Act keeps them from
sharing certain types of information with the private sector.
This keeps American companies in the dark
and prevents them from pursuing the bad guys who rip them off.
Indeed, companies have repeatedly told me
that, if they just had more information from the federal government, they could
keep more counterfeits out of the United States.
My bill removes this barrier and
explicitly gives CBP the authority it needs to share information with the
private sector.
Now, here is the icing on the cake.
Recently, CBP confirmed that my bill would
“resolve [their] concerns [about violating the Trade Secrets Act] and would permit the sharing of [more]
information” on counterfeits.
And a few weeks ago, CBO confirmed that my
bill will cost absolutely nothing.
So, good government legislation that costs
the taxpayer zero dollars?
This is what I like to call a slam dunk, and I hope my colleagues will
join me in making sure it gets passed this Congress.
