Grassley, Hassan Introduce Bill Targeting Counterfeit Imports

WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to detect and halt counterfeit imports. Specifically, the bipartisan bill authorizes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share suspected counterfeits’ packaging and shipping information with intellectual property rights holders, e-commerce platforms and transportation carriers. The text of their legislation has been included as an amendment in the “manager’s package” of the committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

“Counterfeits are an affront to consumers’ well-being, economic vitality and common decency,” Grassley said. “Our bipartisan bill establishes a straightforward approach to cut back on counterfeits by boosting information sharing between CBP, rights holders and commerce professionals.”  

“This bipartisan bill gives Customs and Border Protection the tools that they need to more effectively stop counterfeit goods from crossing our borders,” Hassan said. “By strengthening law enforcement efforts to identify and interdict counterfeit imports, we can better protect American businesses and create jobs.”  

Background

Grassley is the co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley’s 2019 “Fight Against Fakes” report, released during his time as Finance Chairman, detailed bad actors’ efforts to exploit the marketplace at the expense of consumers’ pocketbooks and personal safety. Building on the report, Grassley first introduced legislation in 2021 to enhance information sharing between CBP and private sector partners.

The Grassley-Hassan bill (S.5160) is supported by the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2), International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), The Toy Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Download bill text HERE.