Arlington, VA-The American Consumer Institute is leading a coalition of consumer and taxpayer organizations in urging congressional leaders to advance the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) as cargo theft and organized retail crime continue to impose growing costs on American businesses, workers, and consumers.
Organized retail theft accounted for more than $1 billion in stolen merchandise in 2023, with individual thefts averaging more than $202,000. Nearly 60 percent of organized retail crime is committed through cargo theft, driving estimated annual industry losses as high as $6.6 billion, or more than $18 million per day.
Rail freight has been hit particularly hard, with more than 65,000 thefts reported in 2024—a 40 percent increase from the previous year—and losses exceeding $100 million, in addition to infrastructure damage, operational delays, and rising security costs.
Supporters warn that these crimes disrupt supply chains, threaten worker safety, and raise shipping rates and consumer prices. They argue that CORCA offers a coordinated federal response by improving collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement and establishing an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the Department of Homeland Security.
The American Consumer Institute and supporting organizations say advancing CORCA is a critical step toward combating organized retail crime and protecting consumers from higher costs, delays, and reduced access to essential goods.
Read the full letter below.
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The American Consumer Institute is a nonprofit education and research organization.