U.S. adds e-commerce sites operated by Tencent, Alibaba to ‘notorious markets’ checklist

Feb 17 (Reuters) – E-commerce internet sites operated by China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) and Alibaba Team Keeping Ltd (9988.HK) ended up added to the U.S. government’s latest “notorious marketplaces” listing, the U.S. Trade Representative’s place of work mentioned on Thursday.

The listing identifies 42 online marketplaces and 35 physical markets that are reported to have interaction in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

“This contains figuring out for the initially time AliExpress and the WeChat e-commerce ecosystem, two important China-primarily based on line markets that reportedly aid significant trademark counterfeiting,” the USTR office explained in a assertion.

China-based on the web marketplaces Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao also proceed to be element of the list, along with 9 physical marketplaces positioned inside China “that are recognized for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit products,” the USTR office mentioned.

China does not agree with the U.S. government’s selection to contain some e-commerce websites in its infamous marketplaces checklist, calling the motion “irresponsible,” the Chinese ministry of commerce claimed on Friday. go through far more

Alibaba explained it will proceed operating with government organizations to address worries about intellectual home protection across its platforms.

Tencent mentioned it strongly disagreed with the choice and was “dedicated to working collaboratively to take care of this matter.” It extra that it actively monitored, deterred and acted on violations across its platforms and had invested important methods into mental property legal rights safety.

Inclusion on the record is a blow to the track record of corporations but carries no direct penalties.

Industry bodies which includes the American Clothing and Footwear Association (AAFA) and the Movement Image Association welcomed the launch of the report by the USTR.

The USTR office reported in a different report released on Wednesday that the United States needs to pursue new methods and update its domestic trade equipment to deal with China’s “point out-led, non-sector guidelines and methods.”

The United States and China have been engaged in trade tensions for years in excess of concerns like tariffs, know-how and intellectual property, between others.

The United States has mentioned that China had unsuccessful to make superior on some commitments underneath a so-identified as “Period 1” trade agreement signed by the administration of previous President Donald Trump. read through extra

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru Editing by Sandra Maler, Lincoln Feast and Mark Porter

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