Across the country, surges in retail crime and cargo theft are putting the nation’s businesses and consumers at risk. In a letter sent to Congress, many companies and trade associations urge the swift passage of the U.S. organized cargo and retail theft legislation.
A broad coalition of prominent companies and trade associations, including the World Shipping Council (WSC), representing key sectors of the American economy formally sent a letter to Congress urging immediate passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA).
In accordance with the industry partners who signed the letter, CORCA offers a comprehensive, bipartisan solution to help address this growing problem. As they say, by establishing a dedicated center within Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the bill would enhance coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. It also strengthens investigative tools and penalties to dismantle the criminal enterprises behind these illegal operations.
Cargo theft incidents across the United States and Canada show a 13% surge in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 and a 10% increase from the first quarter of 2025.
The letter highlights the urgent need for federal action to address the growing threat of organized retail crime (ORC), which includes retail and cargo theft, gift card fraud, and trafficking in stolen goods. Sophisticated criminal networks are not only harming businesses and consumers but are also jeopardizing worker safety and fuelling broader illegal enterprises, including human and drug trafficking and money laundering.
These criminal rings use the ill-gotten profits from the sale of these stolen goods to fund broader illegal enterprises – human and drug trafficking, money laundering and assisting transnational criminal groups.
Cargo theft has become one of the most damaging and increasingly common tactics, targeting goods in transit, whether by truck, rail, or at distribution centers, and resulting in billions of dollars in losses.
Joe Kramek, president and chief executive officer of the World Shipping Council, said: “Organized cargo and retail theft is costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year and undermining the security of the American supply chain. These are not isolated incidents – they are coordinated, cross-border operations that target every link in the logistics network, from factory to port to rail.
“The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 provides the comprehensive national response this problem demands. By creating an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center, the bill will connect federal, state and local law enforcement with private-sector experts to share intelligence, coordinate investigations and dismantle the networks driving this surge in theft.
“We strongly support swift passage of this legislation and look forward to working with our partners across government and industry to strengthen cargo security and protect the flow of goods that keeps America moving.”
