AAFA Welcomes Administration Recommendations on Ways to Prevent the Spread of Counterfeits Through Third-Party E-Commerce Platforms
January 24, 2020 | WASHINGTON, D.C.
Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, welcomed the release of the report
Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods by the Trump administration in a statement today. Pointing to growing concerns with the availability of counterfeit products via third-party online marketplaces, Lamar emphasized the need to implement many of the report’s recommendations.
“The administration's report is the latest in a string of government research that has highlighted the growing counterfeit crisis, a crisis caused by counterfeiters taking advantage of third-party online marketplaces that service the needs of millions of American families,” said
Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA. “This is about more than just lost sales and damaged brand reputation. Counterfeit products that are unknowingly purchased – whether a winter coat for yourself or pajamas for your newborn – can put Americans in direct contact with materials that do not meet federal safety regulations, support unsafe working conditions, or enable illegitimate factories to ignore sustainable best practices. It is past time that we attacked this pervasive problem head-on.
“We are pleased that the administration incorporated many of the concerns and recommendations we submitted on behalf of the apparel and footwear industry, and look forward to working with the Executive Branch, Congress, and the appropriate agencies to turn common-sense recommendations from this report into real, effective action to target counterfeits without hindering legitimate trade.”
AAFA submitted comments in response to the
Presidential Memorandum – released on April 3, 2019 – that initiated this report. Those comments can be downloaded
here.