U.S. provides e-commerce websites operated by Tencent, Alibaba to ‘notorious markets’ list

Feb 17 (Reuters) – E-commerce web-sites operated by China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) and Alibaba Team Holding Ltd (9988.HK) were being additional to the U.S. government’s most current “notorious marketplaces” record, the U.S. Trade Representative’s business explained on Thursday.

The list identifies 42 on the net markets and 35 actual physical markets that are described to have interaction in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

“This features pinpointing for the first time AliExpress and the WeChat e-commerce ecosystem, two considerable China-based on the net markets that reportedly facilitate considerable trademark counterfeiting,” the USTR business explained in a assertion.

China-centered on the net markets Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao also proceed to be element of the listing, along with nine bodily markets positioned within just China “that are known for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit merchandise,” the USTR workplace said.

China does not agree with the U.S. government’s final decision to consist of some e-commerce websites in its infamous marketplaces list, calling the action “irresponsible,” the Chinese ministry of commerce explained on Friday. read additional

Alibaba stated it will keep on operating with government agencies to address worries about mental home defense across its platforms.

Tencent said it strongly disagreed with the determination and was “dedicated to functioning collaboratively to solve this make a difference.” It additional that it actively monitored, deterred and acted upon violations across its platforms and had invested significant assets into intellectual house legal rights security.

Inclusion on the checklist is a blow to the reputation of businesses but carries no direct penalties.

Field bodies like the American Attire and Footwear Association (AAFA) and the Movement Photograph Association welcomed the release of the report by the USTR.

The USTR office environment said in a independent report unveiled on Wednesday that the United States needs to go after new techniques and update its domestic trade applications to offer with China’s “state-led, non-current market guidelines and practices.”

The United States and China have been engaged in trade tensions for a long time in excess of difficulties like tariffs, technologies and intellectual house, among the others.

The United States has said that China had unsuccessful to make good on some commitments less than a so-identified as “Period 1” trade arrangement signed by the administration of previous President Donald Trump. read through much more

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

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