Trade

Business advocates and policymakers have a new tool for waging an aggressive effort against counterfeiting during the pandemic and beyond. The NAM has released a new report, “Countering Counterfeits,” which includes proposed solutions for Congress, the administration and the private sector to pursue.

The numbers: According to the NAM’s research, fake and counterfeit products cost the United States $131 billion and 325,000 jobs in 2019 alone.

The rising tide: The rise of e-commerce has caused an explosion in fake products, particularly from China. E-commerce has created a pipeline to consumers that counterfeiters can exploit while hiding their identities and evading oversight. Estimates now indicate that global trade in counterfeits exceeds $500 billion per year.

The plan: The NAM’s proposal pushes for a series of actions to help curb counterfeiting, including:

• Requiring e-commerce platforms to reduce the availability of counterfeits;
• Modernizing enforcement laws and tactics to keep pace with counterfeiting technology;
• Streamlining government coordination to tackle counterfeit items;
• Improving private-sector collaboration; and
• Empowering consumers to avoid counterfeit goods.

The NAM says: President and CEO Jay Timmons said in his introduction to the report, “The prevalence of counterfeits in the COVID-19 response has brought new urgency to this long-simmering issue. So the National Association of Manufacturers is leading the charge against fake and counterfeit goods, bringing together diverse stakeholders and driving innovative policy solutions to address these issues once and for all and to ensure the long-term success of our sector and the safety and security of the people who rely on our products.”