American association asks the US government to include US companies on its piracy list

A US association has called on the US government to include US companies on the list of e-commerce platforms that allow the sale of pirated or smuggled products. This week, 25 de Março Street in São Paulo was included on this list, compiled by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

The request came from the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). According to the organization, which claims to represent more than a thousand manufacturers that together generate more than half a trillion dollars in annual sales , since 2020 there has been no mention of US-based trading platforms on the Notorious Markets List (NML).

"We urge [United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer] to strengthen the annual Notorious Markets List process—the USTR's annual review that identifies platforms that 'engage in, facilitate, overlook, or benefit from substantial piracy or counterfeiting'—to include any such platform, regardless of where it is based," the entity details.

US piracy list focuses only on foreign platforms, association says

According to the AAFA, the Notorious Markets List focuses on physical markets and foreign e-commerce sites. This trend has been consistent since the list's inception in 2006. The association believes some US-based sites and services that escape USTR scrutiny enjoy significant prestige among consumers worldwide.

"This lack of attention eases the pressure on these platforms to become better at preventing and removing counterfeits. The USTR's efforts are focused exclusively on foreign activity, but counterfeiters know no borders," Aafa points out.

US government office launched investigation into March 25

Last Thursday (16) the Office of the United States Trade Representative, a federal agency that is part of the executive office of the US presidency, made public the existence of an investigation to investigate alleged commercial practices in Brazil with the potential to “harm North American companies, workers, farmers and technological innovations”.

The most recent List of Notorious Markets, which includes data relating to the year 2024, cites Brazil and more specifically Rua 25 de Março, in São Paulo, as “notorious for the sale of counterfeit and pirated products.

“Trademark and copyright holders note that this area is one of the largest wholesale and retail counterfeit markets in Brazil and Latin America, with over a thousand stores selling counterfeit goods of all types […] and that the markets on Rua 25 de Março contain facilities for distributing counterfeit and pirated goods throughout São Paulo and other parts of Brazil,” the firm noted.

In response, shopkeepers on 25 de Março Street issued a statement stating that if counterfeit products are sold in the region, they are sold in specific, isolated locations. The statement also points out that these outlets are continuously inspected by the appropriate agencies.

The region's merchants also said in the note that the location is one of the largest commercial hubs in the country, bringing together more than 3,000 formal establishments, "which generate jobs, pay taxes and offer quality products to consumers from all regions of Brazil."