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The American Apparel and Footwear Association has nominated Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate for the USTR’s 2026 Notorious Markets review. The nominations reflect the trade group’s members’ reports of counterfeit listings, impersonation and unsafe goods; they are recommendations, not a USTR finding that the platforms have violated the law.
The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has recommended that the U.S. Trade Representative consider Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate for its 2026 Notorious Markets review, citing member reports of counterfeit goods and other online brand abuses. The submission is a trade association’s recommendation; it does not establish that the platforms have been found by the USTR to host illegal activity.
AAFA submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) nominating the five platforms for the agency’s 2026 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy. The Washington-based association said its recommendations draw on data reflecting experiences reported by its membership, which includes 1,100 fashion brands and retailers. The source report does not provide the full submission or platform-by-platform evidence.
Facebook and Instagram are being recommended for the seventh consecutive year, according to the report. AAFA said its members have raised concerns about brand impersonation on the platforms, including fake advertisements, products and profiles posing as company staff. It also reported concerns about advertising promoted by bots and unverified accounts, as well as AI-generated content that uses brand intellectual property.
AAFA cited one member’s report that it had 120,000 fraudulent product listings removed from Meta’s platforms during the first six months of the year. That figure is an account from a member, as relayed by AAFA; the source does not give a year, explain how the listings were counted or provide an independent verification. AAFA also said counterfeit goods can appear within days or weeks of a product launch and that enforcement requires brands to monitor listings and contact marketplaces repeatedly.
Platforms Face Renewed Counterfeit Scrutiny
The USTR’s Notorious Markets review can draw public attention to places that rights holders identify as associated with counterfeiting and piracy. AAFA’s nominations put five widely used platforms before the trade agency as it considers which markets to identify in its 2026 report. The recommendations also show how trade groups are seeking action through government review when they say individual brands cannot manage the volume of suspected listings alone.
For shoppers, the issue is not limited to whether a product is genuine. AAFA argues that counterfeit goods may be produced outside regulated supply chains and may fail safety standards. The trade group’s position should not be read as proof that every listed item or all products sold through the nominated platforms are counterfeit or unsafe. Still, the allegations point to potential risks for consumers and to costs for companies trying to protect their names, product designs and customers.
AAFA says persistent counterfeiting can also undercut sales of authentic goods and affect companies’ decisions about investment and innovation. Those are claims from an industry association representing affected businesses, rather than findings made by the USTR in this review. Any impact of the nominations will depend on the agency’s assessment and the steps, if any, taken by the companies or policymakers.
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Earlier Findings and Recurring Nominations
AAFA described the recommendations as part of a continuing effort to address online counterfeiting. Its nomination of Facebook and Instagram for a seventh year signals that the association says concerns have persisted, though the source report does not detail how the platforms’ practices or enforcement outcomes have changed over that period. Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate are also named in the 2026 submission.
The association pointed to a safety study it published in February, based on products purchased during the 2025 holiday season. AAFA said 41% of 39 laboratory-tested products failed to meet international safety standards. It reported that many of the tested goods, purchased on online platforms, were counterfeit and contained dangerous levels of substances including phthalates, lead, formaldehyde or nickel. The source does not identify the platforms on which each item was bought, so those findings cannot be assigned to the five nominated platforms individually.
AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar said members see counterfeiters using fraudulent listings that imitate trusted brands. The report also quotes Jennifer Hanks, AAFA’s senior director of brand protection, describing the effort brands spend responding to impersonation and fraudulent advertising. Their comments explain the association’s rationale for seeking government attention, but remain statements from AAFA representatives.
“Consumers deserve to know that the products they purchase are authentic, safe and compliant with the law.”
— Steve Lamar, AAFA president and CEO
Evidence and USTR Findings Await
The source report does not say whether the USTR has accepted AAFA’s nominations, when it will publish the 2026 review, or what conclusions the agency will reach. Being nominated is not the same as being listed in the final review, and a listing would not, by itself, establish that every seller or product on a platform is counterfeit.
Details behind the association’s platform-specific allegations are also limited in the report. It does not reproduce AAFA’s submitted comments, identify the member associated with the 120,000 removals, or provide independent records confirming that tally. Nor does the safety-study summary connect each tested product to a particular nominated platform. The platforms’ responses to these specific recommendations are not included.
It is also unclear what measures AAFA wants the USTR or platforms to take in response, beyond its call for stronger action against counterfeit sales and fraud. The report describes the association’s concerns and cited examples, but does not establish the scale of suspected counterfeiting across each service.
USTR Review Will Determine Next Steps
The next formal step is the USTR’s consideration of comments submitted for the 2026 Notorious Markets review. The agency’s eventual report will show whether it identifies any of AAFA’s five nominees and how it describes the evidence. The source material does not give a publication date or detail the review’s process from here.
AAFA’s submission adds pressure for platforms and officials to address counterfeit listings, impersonation and potentially unsafe goods. Readers should distinguish the association’s allegations and member accounts from findings that the USTR may make. Any platform responses, policy changes or government action remain to be seen.
Key Questions
Which platforms did AAFA nominate?
AAFA recommended Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba.com, AliExpress and DHGate for consideration in the USTR’s 2026 Notorious Markets review.
Does the nomination mean the USTR found the platforms liable?
No. The nominations are recommendations submitted by AAFA. The source does not report a USTR finding that the platforms violated the law, and the agency’s assessment is pending.
What concerns did AAFA raise about Facebook and Instagram?
AAFA said members reported fake advertisements, product listings and staff profiles, along with bot- or unverified-account advertising and AI-generated content using brand intellectual property. These are claims reported by the trade group.
What did AAFA’s product safety study find?
AAFA said 41% of 39 products tested after being purchased during the 2025 holiday season failed to meet international safety standards. The report says many were counterfeit and contained dangerous levels of certain substances, but does not identify the nominated platform associated with each item.
When will the USTR publish its decision?
The source material does not provide a publication date. The outcome and timing of the 2026 review remain unclear.
Source: rss
