China opposes the US placing Chinese companies on the “notorious markets” list -...

China opposes the US placing Chinese companies on the “notorious markets” list

China opposes the US placing Chinese companies on the “notorious markets” list

Rebbeca Ren

posted on February 19, 2022 1:38 am

This is the first time that Alibaba's AliExpress and Tencent's WeChat have been included on the list.

Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Friday said that China disagrees with the United States' decision to place some e-commerce sites on its "notorious markets" list, calling the move "irresponsible".

On Thursday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) added several e-commerce sites operated by Alibaba and Tencent to the latest "notorious markets" list, claiming they have engaged in or facilitated substantial trademark counterfeiting or piracy.

This is the first time that Alibaba's cross-border e-commerce platforms AliExpress and Tencent's WeChat have been included on the list. USTR claims that the WeChat-based e-commerce ecosystem facilitates the distribution and sale of counterfeit products.

China-based online markets Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Alibaba's marketplace Taobao continue to be listed, as well as nine physical markets located within China that are known for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods, said the USTR.

Following the release of the list, the Chinese commerce ministry issued a statement urging the US to objectively reflect China's efforts and progress, conduct a fair assessment, and avoid undue negative impacts on companies.

"China has gradually upgraded its intellectual property protection system in recent years, and businesses have also spent much in actively cooperating with the government to combat infringement and piracy," said the ministry.

In total, the list identified 42 online marketplaces and 35 physical marketplaces that reportedly engaged in or facilitated substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. In addition to China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries are also on this list.

USTR first identified notorious markets in the Special 301 Report in 2006.  Since February 2011, USTR has published annually the Notorious Markets List separately from the Special 301 Report, to increase public awareness and help market operators and governments prioritize intellectual property enforcement efforts that protect American businesses and their workers.

Cover image by Card Mapr on Unsplash