The Philippines has once again been excluded from the United States' annual piracy and counterfeiting watch list, marking the 13th consecutive year the country has avoided the designation. The US Trade Representative (USTR) released the Special 301 Report, which this year highlighted the Philippines for adopting 'best practices' in intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement.
While the Philippines remains on a separate 'notorious markets' list—where the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan continues to be cited—the Special 301 Report acknowledged recent enforcement improvements. The USTR noted the establishment of a dedicated e-Commerce Bureau under the Department of Trade and Industry, tasked with tightening oversight of online transactions, including counterfeit goods sales. Efforts to formalize coordination between the bureau and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophl) were also praised.
Additionally, the report highlighted Ipophl's initiatives such as a national judicial colloquium on IP adjudication and the 'Pirated Inferno' anti-piracy campaign. The Philippines was also listed among countries that have adopted laws against unauthorized camcording in theaters.
However, the USTR flagged ongoing concerns, including the Philippines' status as a source of counterfeit medicines globally, citing a 2020 OECD study. Slow trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings were also noted as areas needing improvement.
Vietnam was designated a 'priority foreign country' in the 2026 report, the most severe classification, marking the first such designation in 13 years due to persistent IP enforcement failures.