- The World Shipping Council joined nearly 200 industry organizations in urging the US Senate to advance the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
- The US House of Representatives already passed the bill, 348-60, in a strong bipartisan vote; the Senate is now being urged to advance it
- Organized retail and supply chain crime costs businesses billions annually; the average stolen shipment from a truck exceeds $300,000, costing the industry $18 million per day, according to WSC
- Crimes have grown more violent and sophisticated, exploiting cross-jurisdictional gaps, evolving technologies, and financial channels, including gift cards
- The CORCA law would create an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to link federal, state, and local law enforcement with private-sector experts
- The bill enhances intelligence-sharing, supports joint investigations, and improves law enforcement-private sector collaboration
The World Shipping Council (WSC) has joined nearly 200 industry organizations in urging United States Senate leaders to advance legislation aimed at combating organized cargo theft and retail crime, citing growing threats to supply chains and logistics networks.
In a letter dated June 2, 2026, the coalition urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Majority Whip John Barrasso, and Minority Whip Dick Durbin to advance the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, or CORCA, following the US House of Representatives’ passage of the measure by a 348-60 vote.
The letter underscores that the problem is substantial. Organized retail and supply chain crime costs businesses billions of dollars annually, with the average value of each stolen shipment from a truck exceeding $300,000, totaling $18 million per day across the industry.
The signatories argue that these are not isolated incidents or petty thefts suitable for local enforcement. The operations are driven by coordinated, multi-state criminal networks that exploit gaps in jurisdictional coordination and use evolving technologies and financial channels, including gift cards, to convert stolen goods into proceeds that fuel broader illicit activity.
“In recent years, these crimes have also become more violent, increasing the risks faced by workers, law enforcement, and the communities they serve,” the letter read.
WSC and the signatories said the CORCA is designed to address these challenges by establishing an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center to connect federal, state, and local law enforcement with private-sector experts for intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and coordinated efforts to dismantle criminal networks.
The coalition was emphatic that the bill is surgical in scope, noting that CORCA does not address routine retail theft, nor does it expand immigration or border enforcement authorities, but is narrowly focused on closing persistent gaps that sophisticated criminal enterprises continue to exploit.
The House’s overwhelming bipartisan vote, following unanimous approval in the House Judiciary Committee, was cited by the coalition as evidence that Congress can unite around the growing threat to public safety, workers, and commerce.
The signatories are now calling on Senate leadership to build on that momentum with timely action.
For the shipping industry, the stakes are tangible, WSC said.
The council cited that retailers, manufacturers, transportation providers, and logistics workers across the supply chain have reported heightened exposure to cargo theft, from disruptions in the movement of goods by rail, truck, and at distribution centers. It added the direct safety risks faced by frontline transportation workers, threats which the WSC and its co-signatories say demand a coordinated federal response that current enforcement tools have failed to deliver.
