Pelosi Says INFORM Act, SHOP SAFE Should Ride on China Bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the INFORM Act, which requires sellers over a certain threshold to be verified by e-commerce platforms, and the SHOP SAFE Act, which would ask platforms to make reasonable efforts to screen for sellers that are likely to sell counterfeit goods, both belong in the China package. She made the comments during a press conference in the Capitol on Dec. 15. She said the Retail Industry Leaders Association and businesses across the country have asked for legislation that could tackle organized shoplifters selling stolen products online, and said the INFORM Act is a remedy for that.
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The SHOP SAFE Act "addresses the same problem in a little bit different way, in terms of holding platforms accountable and those selling things accountable for the provenance of those goods," she said. That bill would require foreign sellers on e-commerce platforms to accept personal jurisdiction in the U.S. and allow themselves to be served in a lawsuit (see 2109290055).
The INFORM Act has been accepted by all major stakeholders, but Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told International Trade Today that the SHOP SAFE Act still has some opposition in the business community. Neither bill is part of the Senate China package that passed with 68 votes, but if the House includes both in its version, that would greatly increase their chance of becoming law in the near term.