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The NAM is leading the charge among a growing group of stakeholders in urging Congress to support the inclusion of two important anti-counterfeiting measures in any final China-competitiveness bills. 

What’s going on: “Broadly, counterfeit products harm American consumers, support criminal activity, threaten manufacturing investment, and put American jobs at risk,” reads a letter sent Wednesday to eight legislators by more than 100 industry groups and trade associations.

• Counterfeit goods cost the U.S. economy nearly $131 billion and more than 325,000 jobs in 2019 alone, according to calculations by the NAM.

Who’s on board: The manufacturers and associations joining this fight come from a wide array of sectors, such as food, pharmaceutical, automotive, agriculture and technology. They include Mattel, Inc., Bayer Corp., Innova Electronics and GE Appliances, among others. 

What must be done: The NAM and its partners asked lawmakers to include the following provisions in Chinese-competition legislation, a top priority for Congress when it returns to work later this month:

• The SHOP SAFE Act would hold e-commerce platforms liable for any counterfeit goods sold on their sites “unless they take a specific set of common-sense, preventative measures” such as removal of the offending listings and screening for counterfeit items.
• The INFORM Consumers Act would require online marketplaces to verify annually the identities of its high-volume sellers. This verification would include collecting basic identification information and making it available to consumers who have bought from the platform.

The NAM says: “The NAM will continue to lead the fight on counterfeiting issues to protect American consumers and manufacturers,” said NAM Senior Director of International Trade and Regulatory Affairs Ryan Ong. “We are encouraged by the work of Congress on the SHOP Safe and the INFORM Act and look forward to working with members to see these bills enacted. Passage of this important legislation is crucial in today’s global economy.”