Obama to sign bill combating counterfeit semiconductors

US President Barack Obama will sign into law a bill that will strengthen trade enforcement, stop evasion of trade laws and provide tools to address unfair currency practices.

The Semiconductor Industry Association, SIA, applauded the congressional approval of legislation known as the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. The bill requires US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to expeditiously share information and samples of suspect counterfeit parts — including semiconductors — with rights holders, enabling quick identification of counterfeits.

Counterfeit semiconductors pose significant risks to public health, safety and national security, said John Neuffer, president and CEO, SIA.

Semiconductors are embedded into countless products and systems that perform critical functions in our society, and the failure of a single component in one of these products or systems can have dangerous consequences. In December, SIA urged House and Senate leaders to approve the Customs legislation in order to better help identify shipments of counterfeits.

CBP has previously redacted images of suspect counterfeit semiconductors and delayed sharing information with companies that play a vital role in determining if parts are counterfeit and require seizure, said SIA. Enactment of this legislation would allow CBP to use the expertise of rights holders in determining if parts are counterfeit, thereby helping prevent counterfeit products from entering the United States.

The threat of counterfeit semiconductors can also be greatly reduced by buying semiconductor products either directly from original component manufacturers (OCMs) or their authorised distributors or resellers, according to SIA.