AAFA Identifies Five Platforms Driving Counterfeit Sales and Online Fraud in USTR Notorious Markets Submission

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has submitted comments, nominating five of the most problematic platforms for AAFA members that enable fraud and the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods. AAFA has urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to include Facebook, Instagram, Alibaba.com, AliExpress, and DHgate in USTR’s 2026 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (NML).

AAFA's recommendations were developed in an interactive, robust, data-driven way to reflect AAFA’s collective membership. AAFA represents more than 1,100 world-renowned brands and companies and the more than 3.24 million U.S. workers supported by the apparel and footwear industry, which contributes to more than $561 billion in annual U.S. retail sales.

In its submission, AAFA includes reasoning and data to support the following platforms for inclusion in USTR's 2026 Notorious Markets List:

Meta: Facebook
Meta: Instagram
Alibaba: Alibaba.com 
Alibaba: AliExpress 
DHGate

“Counterfeiters increasingly use online platforms to deceive consumers with fraudulent listings that mimic trusted brands to sell products that fail to meet basic safety standards and may contain hazardous chemicals or other dangerous substances," said AAFA President and CEO, Steve Lamar. "Consumers deserve to know that the products they purchase are authentic, safe, and compliant with the law. We urge stronger action against platforms that enable, and sellers that engage in, counterfeit trade, thereby exposing American families to harm.”

AAFA members report that platforms continue to allow counterfeiters to capitalize on brand innovation and investment. As a result, AAFA members can’t keep up with the growing abundance of counterfeit products and fraudulent ads offered at scale across platforms. As companies launch new products and seasonal collections, bad actors often create counterfeit products within days or weeks and market them through fraudulent advertisements while using protected product images, trademarks, and proprietary marketing content to deceive consumers.

Beyond harming brands and innovation, these counterfeit listings can expose consumers to unsafe products. In February 2026, AAFA published Unboxing Fake Fashion Unleashing Real Dangers. The study found that 41 percent of 39 sampled products tested during the 2025 holiday shopping window failed to comply with U.S. and international product safety standards, containing dangerous levels of phthalates, lead, formaldehyde, nickel, and other harmful chemicals.

“Counterfeiters and fraudsters are increasingly impersonating America's favorite brands to lure consumers into purchasing fake and dangerous products, creating significant harm for both businesses and consumers,” said AAFA Senior Director, Brand Protection, Jennifer Hanks. “This has become an incessant and costly burden to brands working to protect consumers online, even as technology advances create consumer confusion across platforms.”

For the seventh consecutive year, AAFA has recommended Meta platforms for inclusion in USTR's Notorious Markets List. With an estimated 3.6 billion daily active users, Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, provide unparalleled reach for legitimate businesses but also create enormous opportunities for counterfeiters to target consumers at scale. AAFA members continue to report significant problems with fraudulent advertising that impersonates brands, products, and even company personnel, directing unsuspecting consumers to scam websites and other fraudulent schemes across the Digital Devalue Chain of Counterfeits^®.

In AAFA’s 2026 review, members specifically cited fraudulent advertisements promoted by fake and unverified accounts, advertisements for counterfeit branded products, fake accounts impersonating official company accounts, and AI-generated content that uses brands’ intellectual property without authorization. One AAFA member alone reported the removal of more than 120,000 counterfeit product listings and more than 24,000 fraudulent advertisements across Meta platforms during the first six months of 2026.

Access AAFA's full NML submission here. Additionally, AAFA made a submission to the European Commission’s Public Consultation on the 2027 Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List.

Molly Molloy
AAFA
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