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An employee pulls a cart stacked with boxes at the Amazon.com fulfillment center in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Amazon’s counterfeit problem has caught the attention of a major retail industry advocacy group.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), which represents more than 1,000 brands, recommended on Monday that certain Amazon sites be added to the U.S. government’s annual “Notorious Markets” list, which identifies commerce sites and companies that facilitate the sale of counterfeit goods.
“Amazon has been a leader of, and has made valuable contributions to, the future of retail,” AAFA said in a statement. “We believe Amazon can, and should, be a leader in the fight against counterfeits.”
The Notorious Markets list is put out every year by the U.S. Trade Representative, highlighting physical and online retailers that enable copyright piracy, trademark infringement and counterfeiting. Amazon has never been on the list, but AAFA is now advocating that the company’s properties in the U.K., Canada and Germany be added this year.
It’s a troubling sign for Amazon, which has been overrun by counterfeiters in recent years after the company opened up its marketplace to sellers from across the globe, most notably China. While Amazon has publicly stated that it has a “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to counterfeit sales and has developed technology to try and identify problem sellers and storefronts, the site continues to suffer from growing sales of knock-offs in categories like apparel, kitchenware and skin and beauty products.
AAFA’s recommendation could also provide more fodder for President Donald Trump in his quest to punish Amazon for what he says are unfair tax policies and CEO Jeff Bezos’ ownership of the Washington Post. Trump has yet to go after Amazon for facilitating counterfeit sales or giving favorable treatment to Chinese merchants.
An Amazon spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
