Representative Adriano Espaillat Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Stop Chinese Electronic Counterfeiting

Press Release

Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (R-NY-13) and Representative Paul Cook (R-CA-08) introduced the Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA), a national security bill to stop the flow of electronic waste (e-waste) to China. China regularly uses e-waste to counterfeit electronics while returning these dangerous faux products, including critical military equipment, back into the market.

"I appreciate the bipartisan effort to curb China's baneful economic practices, and I am delighted to work with my colleague, Representative Paul Cook, on our bill to abate e-waste exports to China, which directly threaten our national security and economic interests. Despite the recently enhanced prevention and detection measures imposed on e-waste, the current situation remains untenable and requires a comprehensive strategy to choke off counterfeiters' feedstock: American e-waste exports," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "Aside from the national security concerns this bill addresses, SEERA mitigates the damaging effects on the environment caused by China's unchecked recycling of e-scrap, which contains toxic materials such as lead, PCBs, mercury and more."

"China regularly counterfeits electronics and puts these dangerous products, including critical military equipment, back into the market. These electronic components threaten the reliability and safety of a wide range of technology. SEERA will ensure we're not exporting electronic scrap materials that return to us as counterfeit parts and undermine the reliability of technology essential to our national security," said Representative Paul Cook (CA-08).

U.S. consumers' safety and national security are directly threatened from counterfeit electronics that have infiltrated the supply chains of defense contractors, private sector industries, domestic markets, and our country's critical infrastructure. According to a 2012 report by the Senate Armed Services Committee, these counterfeit parts can compromise the reliability of defense systems at the moment we need them most, which is an unacceptable risk for servicemembers who must rely on sophisticated electronic equipment. The report notes that, "much of the material used to make counterfeit electronic parts is electronic waste, or e-waste, shipped from the United States and the rest of the world to China.' Despite the national security implications, the United States does not currently have a national policy on e-waste exports.

The Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act (SEERA) would stop the flow of e-waste from the United States and would require domestic recycling of all untested and nonworking electronics, which will also promote the creation of thousands of new jobs in the United States. By keeping these materials at home, we will keep them out the hands of counterfeiters and data thieves.

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