The office of the United States Trade Representative this Tuesday included Mexico in its list of priority surveillance on intellectual property rights, citing long-standing concerns about law enforcement against trademark counterfeiting and protection of intellectual property related to pharmaceuticals.
The annual report of the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) now includes eight countries on its priority watch list for deficiencies and violations of intellectual property rights, and 18 countries on its watch list.
The lists are drawn up each year after research and analysis by more than 100 business partners.
Concerns could be a factor in the president’s government negotiations Donald Trump with many countries on tariffs and non-tariff barriers, giving the report greater importance this year.
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that the government was in talks with 15-18 key trading partners about strong US tariffs announced by Trump on April 2, but suspended until July 8.
The priority list now includes:
- Mexico
- China
- Chile
- Argentina
- India
- Indonesia
- Russia
- Venezuela
“Our business partners must address the concerns identified in Special Report 301 and arrest those who steal the intellectual property of hard-working companies and individuals ”, said United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
“This comprehensive report is a basis for the United States to take commercial enforcement measures against those who do not play fair ”.
Mexico, which had been on the watch list for several years, was transferred to the highest priority group, USTR said, citing what it called “significant and long-standing concerns that have not been resolved, many of which relate with the implementation by Mexico of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (T-MEC) ”.
Trump applied 25% tariffs to Mexico in March for failing to stop fentanyl exports, much of which is shipped from China. Trade complying with the USMCA is exempt from the additional tariff, although tariffs on energy and potash are 10 percent.
USTR said specific concerns on Mexico focused on the application of the law against trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy, protection of intellectual property related to pharmaceuticals, pre-established damages for copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, as well as protection of plant varieties.
It kept China – which is currently facing 145% tariffs on the products it sends to the United States – on the priority watch list, citing slow reforms and persistent concern about forced technology transfer, trade secrets, counterfeiting, online hacking and copyright law, among other issues.
Beijing has not, or has only partially, fulfilled some of its intellectual property commitments in the framework of the first phase of the trade agreement between China and the United States.
The USTR removed one country, Turkmenistan, from the main watch list, noting that stakeholders had not raised significant concerns about the protection or application of intellectual property in that country in recent years.
Vietnam and Brazil remained on the list, which also includes Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey.
USTR includes Mexico on its priority intellectual property watch list