US Adds e-commerces sites to notorious market list

E-commerce sites operated by China's Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) were included on the U.S. government's latest "notorious markets" list, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Thursday. The list identifies 42 online markets and 35 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

China-based online markets Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao also continue to be part of the list, along with nine physical markets located within China "that are known for the manufacture, distribution, and sale of counterfeit goods," the USTR office said. Alibaba said it will continue working with government agencies to address concerns in intellectual property protection across its platforms.

Tencent said it strongly disagreed with the decision and was "committed to working collaboratively to resolve this matter". It added it actively monitored, deterred and acted upon violations across its platforms and had invested significant resources into intellectual property rights protection.