President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday seeking to crack down on the import of counterfeit goods and contraband that U.S. customers purchase on e-commerce sites like Amazon.
The order instructs the Department of Homeland Security to establish stronger criteria that companies importing goods from other countries must comply with. Importers found violating federal rules could be barred from shipping goods to the U.S. or face more rigorous inspections.
Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters that if companies like Amazon don’t prevent the import of counterfeits, “DHS will take steps to ensure they do,” according to Reuters.
The order is designed to stem the spread of narcotics imported to the U.S. and protect against the economic impact of counterfeit sales.
Amazon has filed several lawsuits against sellers accusing them of using the company’s e-commerce platform to peddle knockoffs.
