Blocking the importation of counterfeit goods could soon become easier. On August 7, 2026, the US Senate unanimously passed S 2677, a bill that would allow greater coordination between US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and relevant stakeholders in determining whether imported goods violate trademark or copyright law.

Sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley and co-sponsored by Senator Margaret Wood Hassan, S 2677 would amend 19 U.S.C. § 1628a to authorize CBP to share nonpublic information to rightsholders for examination when assessing potential copyright or trademark violations. The bill would also expand the parties with which CBP may share information. While current law permits disclosure only to certain rightsholders, S 2677 would allow CBP to share information with “any other party with an interest in the merchandise, as determined appropriate by the Commissioner.” The bill would also permit such information sharing when CBP has a “reasonable suspicion” of a violation, rather than requiring officials to “suspect” one.

The US House of Representatives passed a very similar bill, HR 4930, on April 27, 2026, and the two versions will need to be reconciled. During House Ways and Means Committee proceedings, Chief Trade Counsel Joshua Snead and Representatives Blake Moore and Bradley Schneider explained that the legislation responds to concerns raised by CBP about constraints under existing law. According to Snead, CBP requested the changes and expressed concerns under both the Biden and Trump administrations that the Defend Trade Secrets Act could prevent it from sharing information useful to intellectual property enforcement. Representative Moore said the legislation would help CBP “recognize and flag patterns of behavior” by repeat offenders.