India Among Six Nations On USTR Priority Watch List For Intellectual Property Rights Concerns - What Does It Mean?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) India has landed among a list of six countries on the priority watch list of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR deals with adequacy and effectiveness of trading partners' protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. The other countries to have featured on the list include Russia and China.

USTR's Special 301 Report on Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement 2026 was released on Thursday. As per the list, Vietnam has been featured as the Priority Foreign Country (PFC), marking the first time in 13 years that any country is listed in that particular category.

It said that Vietnam is not entering into good faith negotiations or making significant progress in negotiations to provide adequate and effective IP rights protection.

“As a result of Vietnam's identification as a PFC, USTR will decide within 30 days whether to initiate an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 based on the grounds identified in this report as the basis for Vietnam's identification as a PFC. If USTR initiates an investigation, USTR will request consultations with Vietnam and seek to resolve the issues that led to Vietnam's identification as a PFC,” the report said.

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In a statement, the USTR said,“The PFC identification is reserved by statute for countries with the most egregious IP-related acts, policies, and practices with the greatest adverse impact on relevant US products.”

“Using all the enforcement tools we have to address unfair trade practices is a top priority,” said Ambassador Jamieson Greer.“We have rigorously reviewed our trading partners' IP practices and expect to take action where needed to protect American innovators and creators globally.”

Other changes in placement for this year's Special 301 Report include moving Argentina and Mexico from the Priority Watch List to the Watch List due to important improvements on IP policy, adding the European Union to the Watch List, and removing Bulgaria from the Watch List.

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The countries that have been placed on this year's Priority Watch List are Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela.

It said that USTR will seek to engage intensively with these countries, as appropriate, during the coming year.

What does it mean?

Placement of a trading partner on the Priority Watch List or Watch List indicates that particular problems exist in that country with respect to IP protection, enforcement, or market access for US persons relying on IP.

As many as 19 trading partners are on the Watch List and worth bilateral attention to address underlying IP problems. Those 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.

(With agency inputs)

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