The U.S. is not winning the fight against potentially dangerous fakes, as corrupt investigators in China help counterfeiters perfect their art and make it easier for counterfeit goods to enter global supply chains.
Seizures of counterfeits that can be harmful — including auto parts, semiconductors, and personal care items like toothpaste — are on the rise, according to U.S. Customs data. At the same time, the quality of fakes is improving, making them harder than ever to detect, said Stephen Long, deputy chief U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of New York/Newark.
Long and his colleagues touch about 1 percent of the total container traffic at the port, which handles 3.3 million containers a year. Customs employs a sophisticated screening system to target containers for inspection, part of an effort to ensure that the hunt for fakes does not hinder the flow of legitimate commerce.
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