AsianFin -- The United States Trade Representative (USTR) under the President’s Office on Wednesday released its 2024 Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy list. While several Chinese internet products remain included, Tencent’s WeChat has been removed from the list for the first time.
WeChat was previously listed in both 2022 and 2023 but has now been delisted for 2024. The Notorious Markets list identifies online and physical markets allegedly involved in large-scale piracy and trademark counterfeiting. Critics argue the list has often targeted prominent Chinese companies and products, reflecting trade tensions between the two nations.
Just two days ago, Tencent and CATL were added to the U.S. Department of Defense’s list of Chinese military-linked companies, sparking widespread attention. Unlike the Department of Defense’s CMC list, which restricts transactions with defense-related suppliers, the removal of WeChat from the Notorious Markets list represents a broader trade-related decision directly issued by the President’s Office.
The development highlights the nuanced and multifaceted trade measures adopted by the U.S., with varying implications for Chinese enterprises across different sectors.
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