Bangladesh Remains Absent from USTR IP Watch Lists as US Presses for Enhanced Enforcement

Bangladesh has remained off the United States’ most recent intellectual property (IP) rights watch lists, according to the annual Special 301 Report released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday. Despite not being listed, the USTR has called on Dhaka to strengthen enforcement efforts to prevent unfair trade practices related to intellectual property.

The Special 301 Report is an annual review that identifies trading partners with concerns regarding IP protection and enforcement. In its latest edition, the USTR identified 26 countries with ongoing issues, categorizing them into three groups: Priority Foreign Country, Priority Watch List, and Watch List.

Vietnam was designated as a Priority Foreign Country in this year’s report, a rare and severe classification that can trigger a trade investigation. The USTR stated that Vietnam has failed to address long-standing concerns over intellectual property protection and enforcement. The designation is reserved for countries with the most serious IP-related practices that significantly impact US industries and where meaningful progress in negotiations or reforms has not been made.

The report noted that the United States first raised these concerns with Vietnam in 2020 through a proposed IP Work Plan, followed by a revised proposal in 2023. Despite these efforts, Vietnam has made little progress in subsequent bilateral engagement, including talks linked to an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade. According to the USTR, Vietnam’s actions or inactions are causing significant damage to industries reliant on intellectual property in the US and other markets.

Six countries were placed on the Priority Watch List this year: Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela. The USTR indicated that it would seek to engage intensively with these partners over the coming year to address ongoing IP concerns.

A further 19 trading partners were placed on the Watch List. These countries are Algeria, Argentina, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, the European Union, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Türkiye. Notably, Argentina and Mexico were moved from the Priority Watch List to the Watch List, reflecting improvements in their intellectual property policies. Bulgaria was removed from the list, while the European Union was newly added.

Regarding Bangladesh, the USTR referenced commitments made under a recently signed Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. This agreement includes broad commitments on market access, economic and national security, and trade standards, including intellectual property protection.

In addition to Bangladesh, the United States has completed similar agreements with Argentina, Cambodia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan. According to the USTR, these agreements contain commitments aimed at strengthening intellectual property protection and enforcement, particularly against piracy and counterfeiting.

While Bangladesh’s exclusion from the watch lists is a positive development, the USTR’s report underscores the need for continued vigilance and enhanced enforcement to ensure robust IP protection and fair trade practices.