The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) along with 18 other trade bodies recently wrote a letter to Congressional leadership in the US House of Representatives seeking support to move HR 4930 forward in the legislative process.

The piece of legislation, aimed at addressing long-standing challenges to the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) at US borders, was reported with unanimous, bipartisan support from the House Ways and Means Committee.

AAFA along with 18 other trade bodies recently wrote to Congressional leadership in the US House of Representatives seeking support to move HR 4930 forward in the legislative process.
The piece of legislation, aimed at addressing long-standing challenges to the enforcement of IPR at US borders, was reported with unanimous, bipartisan support from the House Ways and Means Committee.

“We encourage you to move swiftly in bringing the bill to the Floor,” the letter noted.

In fiscal 2023-2024, US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) seized over 32 million counterfeit and pirated items, valued in excess of $5 billion, across more than 300 ports of entry, the letter noted.

“More disconcerting though is the rate at which those figures are increasing. In just the past five years, the number of illicit goods seized by CBP has more than doubled, while the value of those goods has grown by more than 400 per cent,” the letter said.

“The cost of this criminal trafficking cannot be measured in dollars alone though, but in the injuries caused by often dangerous fakes that put consumers’ health and safety at risk, in diminished investments to drive the next wave of innovation by American businesses, in jobs lost

to unfair competition, and increasingly, by the threats such products pose to our national security,” the letter said.

The overwhelming volume of trade passing through U.S. ports, and the speed at which it moves, presents a significant obstacle to effective border enforcement, it noted.

While Congress has expressed a clear desire in recent years for greater partnership between the public and private sectors on these issues, CBP has raised concerns over both the scope of its authority to share information with, and to seek assistance from, its partners in the private sector in carrying out its IP enforcement mission, it said.

HR 4930 clarifies and expands the agency’s authority, offering practical tools to safeguard consumers and legitimate businesses.

“It is essential that CBP has the ability to work with relevant stakeholders throughout the supply chain, both to avoid the siloing of information that has often hindered the agency’s efficiency, and to ensure that the private sector can offer effective and timely assistance on matters of trade enforcement, thereby ensuring that bad actors and trade cheats are held accountable,” the letter added.

The trade associations which signed the letter include Baby Safety Alliance, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, International Intellectual Property Association, Personal Care Products Council and Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has announced an increase in fees for registering trademarks, designs and patents, effective from April 1, 2026. The revision follows the implementation of the UK’s Intellectual Property Fees (Miscellaneous Amendments, Revocation and Transitional Provisions) Rules in 2026.

This marks the first comprehensive revision in decades, with the last fee increases recorded in 1998 for trademarks, 2016 for designs, and 2018 for patents. The IPO stated that the changes aim to address a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 while supporting continued investment in digital systems and services.

The UK IPO has increased fees for trademarks, designs and patents from April 1, 2026 under new rules, marking the first major revision in years.
The move reflects a 32 per cent rise in inflation since 2016 and aims to support continued investment in digital systems and services, with transitional provisions applicable for certain filings and payments.

The updated fees apply to all applications and payments made on or after April 1, 2026. Transitional provisions have also been outlined for certain cases. For designs, deferred registration requests submitted from April 1 onwards will be subject to the new fees, even if the original application was filed earlier.

For trademarks, applicants using the permitted period of grace may still be eligible to pay the previous fee, provided the application was filed before April 1 and any outstanding payment is completed within the IPO’s deadline.

Separately, UKFT has submitted industry feedback to the IPO regarding the UK’s updated Design Framework, which is expected to be announced later this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JP)

Business confidence in the United Kingdom remains subdued and investment intentions are weak, according to the results from the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for the first quarter (Q1) this year.

Cost pressures, though no longer accelerating, remain elevated. Firms continue to report difficulties in recruitment, while a significant proportion expect to raise prices in the coming months.

UK business confidence remains subdued and investment intentions are weak, the BCC Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2026 shows.
Cost pressures, though no longer accelerating, remain elevated.
Firms continue to report difficulties in recruitment, while a significant proportion expect to raise prices in the coming months.
Firms are not reporting crisis conditions, but neither are they signalling momentum.

The QES did not register a sudden collapse. Instead, it showed a long plateau of hesitation. Investment balances weakened and remained weak. Confidence drifted rather than fell. Firms delayed decisions. The signal was not panic but paralysis, a BCC release noted.

Firms are not reporting crisis conditions. But neither are they signalling momentum. The British economy appears to be operating below potential, with limited resilience to absorb further shocks.

The nature of the next shock will determine how these indicators move, and how severe the impact will be, the BCC feels.

An escalation of conflict in Iran would most likely transmit through energy prices and global supply chains. If so, the QES would be expected to register a familiar pattern: rising input costs, increased price expectations, and a renewed squeeze on margins. Confidence could weaken further, particularly if financial markets react sharply. Investment, already subdued, may be delayed again.

The risk is not simply the shock itself, but the accumulation of shocks and their long-term economic consequences. Over the past decade, UK businesses have had little time to rebuild buffers. Each episode—uncertainty, shutdown, inflation, volatility—has left its mark. The latest QES shows an economy that has adapted, but not fully recovered.

The latest data does not yet show a new earthquake, but does reveal some very shaky ground, BCC added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)