In light of specific instances where counterfeit items have been found at nuclear plants, updated industry guidance is being developed to improve detection and identify risk mitigation options. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency estimates that counterfeiting costs US industry 750,000 jobs annually. Thousands more jobs are at risk around the world. In federal fiscal year 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Customs and Border Protection agency made more than 14,000 seizures of counterfeited goods, valued at more than $272.7 million, representing a 38% increase in value over 2007. In the US commercial nuclear industry, several counterfeit, fraudulent, and substandard items (CFSIs) have been detected prior to being placed in active inventory, and several others have been detected only after installation. Fortunately, the items did not fail in service before being identified and replaced. Their existence, however, highlights the need for vigilance on behalf of the industry, its regulators, and its suppliers to ensure the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants.
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