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The piece of legislation, aimed at addressing long-standing challenges to the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) at US borders, was reported with unanimous, bipartisan support from the House Ways and Means Committee.<\/p>\n
AAFA along with 18 other trade bodies recently wrote to Congressional leadership in the US House of Representatives seeking support to move HR 4930 forward in the legislative process.
\nThe piece of legislation, aimed at addressing long-standing challenges to the enforcement of IPR at US borders, was reported with unanimous, bipartisan support from the House Ways and Means Committee. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage you to move swiftly in bringing the bill to the Floor,\u201d the letter noted.<\/p>\n
In fiscal 2023-2024, US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) seized over 32 million counterfeit and pirated items, valued in excess of $5 billion, across more than 300 ports of entry, the letter noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore disconcerting though is the rate at which those figures are increasing. In just the past five years, the number of illicit goods seized by CBP has more than doubled, while the value of those goods has grown by more than 400 per cent,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cost of this criminal trafficking cannot be measured in dollars alone though, but in the injuries caused by often dangerous fakes that put consumers\u2019 health and safety at risk, in diminished investments to drive the next wave of innovation by American businesses, in jobs lost<\/p>\n
to unfair competition, and increasingly, by the threats such products pose to our national security,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n
The overwhelming volume of trade passing through U.S. ports, and the speed at which it moves, presents a significant obstacle to effective border enforcement, it noted.<\/p>\n
While Congress has expressed a clear desire in recent years for greater partnership between the public and private sectors on these issues, CBP has raised concerns over both the scope of its authority to share information with, and to seek assistance from, its partners in the private sector in carrying out its IP enforcement mission, it said.<\/p>\n
HR 4930 clarifies and expands the agency\u2019s authority, offering practical tools to safeguard consumers and legitimate businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is essential that CBP has the ability to work with relevant stakeholders throughout the supply chain, both to avoid the siloing of information that has often hindered the agency\u2019s efficiency, and to ensure that the private sector can offer effective and timely assistance on matters of trade enforcement, thereby ensuring that bad actors and trade cheats are held accountable,\u201d the letter added.<\/p>\n
The trade associations which signed the letter include Baby Safety Alliance, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, International Intellectual Property Association, Personal Care Products Council and Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade.<\/p>\n
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)<\/p>\n
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