'Tank Road one of the most notorious fake goods market'

The US on Thursday identified Tank Road in Delhi as one of the most notorious markets selling counterfeit products in the world and urged India to take sustained and coordinated enforcement action.

The US' Notorious Markets List highlights 33 online and 25 physical markets that reportedly engage in and facilitate copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting. "Tank Road remains on the List in 2018. Stakeholders confirm that it remains a market selling counterfeit products, including apparel and footwear," US Trade Representative (USTR) said in a report on Notorious Markets List

Counterfeit products from Tank Road wholesalers are also reportedly supplied to other Indian markets, including Gaffar Market and Ajmal Khan Road, it said.

These wholesalers appear to operate freely, allowing them to build well established businesses over many years, the USTR said.

"This activity harms the American economy by undermining the innovation and intellectual property rights of US IP owners in foreign markets. An estimated 2.5 percent, or nearly half a trillion dollars’ worth, of global imports are counterfeit and pirated products," it said.

The USTR urged India to take sustained and coordinated enforcement action at the Tank Road market in Karol Bagh, previously-listed markets, and numerous other non-listed markets in its territory.

The 2018 Notorious Markets List maintains its special focus on the distribution of pirated content and counterfeit goods online.

This year, the list highlighted free trade zones and the role they may play in facilitating trade in counterfeit and pirated goods.

According to the report, as in past years, China continued to remain the primary source of counterfeit products.

Together with Hong Kong, through which Chinese merchandise often transships, China accounted for 78 per cent of the value (measured by manufacturer's suggested retail price) and 87 per cent of the seizures by US' Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2017.

Some Chinese markets, particularly in larger cities, have adopted policies and procedures intended to limit the availability of counterfeit merchandise.

The Chinese markets listed in the notorious market list are Huaqiangbei electronics market and Luohu commercial city in Shenzhen at Guangdong province; Silk market in Beijing; Jinlongpan, Zhanxi Lu and Yulong garment markets at Guangzhou in Guangdong province; and Wuai market in Shenyang at Liaoning province.