Partnership is first formal Donations Acceptance Program arrangement to enforce Intellectual Property Rights
WASHINGTON—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced today a new formal partnership arrangement with Procter & Gamble (P&G), as part of the Donations Acceptance Program, to prevent counterfeit P&G products from entering the United States. As part of the partnership, P&G will donate testing devices to verify the authenticity of various P&G products. The devices will help CBP officers and trade specialists quickly determine the legitimacy of the product, reducing the possibility of counterfeit goods from entering the U.S. stream of commerce.
“Intellectual Property Rights enforcement is a CBP priority trade issue, so we are pleased to announce the first formal partnership approved under the Donations Acceptance Program to aid in the fight against counterfeits,” said Office of Field Operations Executive Assistant Commissioner Todd C. Owen. “CBP’s continued partnership with P&G will help equip our officers with the tools needed to more effectively detect and seize counterfeit P&G products entering the United States.”
P&G intends to partner with CBP for the long term by resupplying and if necessary, upgrading donated testing devices as CBP’s detection needs evolve.
“CBP views its formal partnership with P&G as an important and significant step towards collaborating on mutually beneficial Intellectual Property Rights solutions,” said Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner Brenda B. Smith. “Our long-term agreement with P&G will help strengthen CBP’s immediate and future ability to protect the P&G brand and U.S. consumers.”
The Donations Acceptance Program enables CBP to collaboratively explore and implement solutions to trade and travel facilitation and enforcement challenges. This is the first formal partnership arrangement under the Donations Acceptance Program for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement to implement Section 308(d) of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. Section 308(d) required CBP to prescribe regulatory procedures for the donation of technologies, training, or other related services for the purpose of assisting CBP in IPR enforcement.
Pursuant to 6 U.S.C. § 301a, and more generally, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. §§ 112 et seq., as amended, CBP and GSA are authorized to accept donations of real property, personal property (including monetary donations) and non-personal services from private sector and government entities. Accepted donations may be used for port of entry construction, alterations, operations, and maintenance activities.
Public-private partnerships are a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy and allow CBP to provide new or expanded services and infrastructure at domestic ports of entry. For more information, visit www.CBP.gov/DAP.